Conflict resolution support for air traffic control based on solution spaces: Design and implementation

Abstract

In earlier research, it has been shown that air traffic controllers can benefit from support tools when performing their conflict detection and resolution task. The support tools used in this research vary from alerting the controller when a conflict is detected to automatically generating a conflict resolution. To take advantage of the controllerspsila knowledge and experience the support tools should show the solution space rather than only one computed solution. The solution space shows the controller options to create a conflict avoidance maneuver or displays the information the computed solution is based on. A case study has been performed to identify the information currently used to construct an avoidance maneuver. The study showed that controllers determine the avoidance maneuver by estimating the current and future air traffic situation using extrapolated tracks and experience regarding the location of busy areas. Besides future aircraft positions, the solution space comprises all data that has an influence on the avoidance maneuver. Information in the solution space can be based on prediction with an uncertainty distribution. It is important to show the controller the reliability of the predictions and consequently must be included in the solution space. The research described in this paper aims to develop the data structure needed to integrate the different constraints including the uncertainty distribution. Subsequently, the implementation of the concept in a first prototype is discussed.