Honeywell is leading research into the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to support single-pilot operations under a European Union SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking project. The goal is to “develop AI-powered digital assistants and a human-AI collaboration framework to support both extended minimum-crew operations and single-pilot operations, ensuring the same (or higher) level of safety and same (or lower) workload as operations with a full crew today,” according to Honeywell.
The Digital Assistants for Reducing Workload and Increasing collaboration (Darwin) project includes partners Pipistrel, Germany’s DLR research institute, Eurocontrol, EASA, and Slovenia Control. The research will be done at Honeywell’s Brno, Czech Republic development center.
Darwin will use human-AI teaming to address key challenges for single-pilot operations in air transport-category aircraft, including “the need to keep cockpit workload sufficiently low to allow one person to address even the most demanding situations; the need to replace the second pair of eyes to cross-check actions of the pilot in command; and the need to detect and mitigate a pilot incapacitation.”
“This project lays a solid foundation for the future of AI and AI-human collaboration in Honeywell avionics,” said Andrew Barker, v-p of integrated avionics at Honeywell Aerospace. “We must focus our efforts in these areas to ensure proper baselines are established for the future of minimum-crew operations.”