The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) recently funded a project called AI-based Additional Pilot (ArtiAP). The three-year long project, which launched at the beginning of 2024, aims to develop machine learning techniques tailored to enhance pilot situation awareness and decision-making within the flight deck of modern, complex aircraft.
Potential Use Cases
ArtiAP will target use cases where current on-board automation offers limited (or no) support to pilots, such as in-flight diversions. For instance, in the case of a diversion, pilots need to consider a myriad of factors (weather, fuel, etc.) before deciding which airport to divert to. In addition to decision-support in complex scenarios, ArtiAP will exploit machine learning to detect anomalous aircraft or pilot behaviour, and to forecast potential future events.
Human-Machine Communication
Human-machine communication will be an important aspect of ArtiAP and will be key to pilot acceptance of (and trust in) the proposed AI system. The aim is that the system communicates with pilots in a manner that is analogous to how pilots communicate in the cockpit i.e. by challenging each other’s decisions, confirming actions, providing information, and proposing different options.
Navigating Forward
The next step of the project will consist of the definition of use cases in consultation with potential end users. This will be followed by the iterative design and development of the machine learning algorithms and Human-Machine Interface. Finally, the proposed system will be demonstrated and evaluated in a realistic flight simulation environment with the participation of a representative group of airline pilots.
Collaborative Research and Innovation
ArtiAP is being led by and brings together the expertise of the at the University of Malta and Ltd., a local aviation consultancy company with a decade-long collaboration history with IAT, including on AI-related projects such as and . This strategic partnership combines academic research with practical industry insights, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges of modern aviation.
ArtiAP (R&I-2021-014-T) is a €295,000 project financed by the Malta Council for Science & Technology, for and on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology, through the FUSION: R&I Technology Development Programme.
