Helping Pilots Land Planes Safely In The Horrific Event Of Automation Failure – SmartAP Project Completed
Research and Innovation Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti announced the completion of the Smart Artificial Pilot (SmartAP) project – which deploys AI based solutions to help pilots steer planes safely in cases of automation failure.
This essentially means that SmartAP uses advanced automation to help pilots tackle the failures of more rudimentary mechanical automation processes.
“Technology is a tool that we must make use of in order to give us the necessary help – and projects like this will offer assistance to all pilots through Artificial Intelligence” said Azzopardi Tanti.
He thanked those directly involved with engineering the project – and encouraged other researchers to follow in their footsteps.
The completion of this project coincides with the final days of Ta’ Qali’s first tech focused Public Service Expo – which showcases technological improvements which are going to be integrated in Malta’s Public Services to assist humans and help us work more efficiently – rather than replacing us outright.
(Phew.)
The SmartAP project received around €200,000 under the national Research and Innovation Fusion funding program – administered by the Malta Council for Science and Technology and led by the Institute of Aerospace Technologies at the University of Malta – who collaborated with QuAero Limited, a local aviation consultancy firm.
SmartAP addresses two main areas of concern during flight:
- loss of control due to aerodynamic stalling
- loss of situational awareness
Through AI solutions, pilots will be able to better understand what is happening – in real time – to position their airplanes in the safest possible way and help them save lives.
Jason Gauci, a SmartAP researcher said that the tool “demonstrates some of the benefits that AI can bring to the cockpit – and functions in a variety of scenarios to help pilots fly as safely as possible”.
“As AI becomes more sophisticated, we can expect it to play a bigger role not just in the cockpit – but in the entire aviation ecosystem.”
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