| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 02-II A3.02-9526 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 022473 ) |
| PHASE-I CONTRACT NUMBER: | NAS2-03109 |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | 21st Century Air-Traffic Management |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | A Tool for the Evaluation of Proposed TFM Initiatives |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN:
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Metron, Inc.
131 Elden Street, Suite 200
Herndon , VA 20170 - 4835
(703 ) 787 - 8700
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER:
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Dan Rosman
rosman@metronaviation.com
131 Elden Street, Suite 200
Herndon , VA 20170 - 4835
(703 ) 234 - 0731
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Metron Aviation, Inc. builds the Pre-Operations Hypothesis Evaluation Tool (PROPHET), a tool for Traffic Flow Management (TFM) that integrates existing and emerging technologies in the areas of modeling and operations analysis to enable the evaluation of proposed TFM initiatives. The key innovation of this effort is the integration of the Post Operations Evaluation Tool (POET) and the Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) to accomplish ew tasks that neither of these tools can do alone. This development leverages the following key features: FACET?s trajectory prediction and modeling capabilities, and POET?s mature database management system and operations analysis tools. By integrating the tools we provide a system allowing Traffic Flow Managers to investigate future TFM initiatives in real-time. These users then exploit the tool?s analysis capabilities to observe and compare the benefits and impacts of several proposed initiatives prior to operational implementation ? an assessment carried out based on explicit reasoning regarding uncertainty. In Phase I, we provided a proof-of-concept, demonstrating technical feasibility. In Phase II, we develop a plug-and-play module for FACET enabling interaction with POET?s databases and data mining capabilities and providing users access to PROPHET functionality. Phase II culminates in a demonstration of this plug-and-play functionality.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The proposed PROPHET tool is initially targeted towards researchers at NASA Ames developing and enhancing the Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET). Additional NASA applications include real-time VAST-RT tools and the fast-time Advanced Concept Evaluation System (ACES) being developed under NASA?s Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation (VAMS) project. Real-time application would allow concept developers to ?test drive? different concept-specific strategies with Traffic Flow Managers ?in-the-loop?, and directly compare their performance against other baseline strategies used today. Integration of PROPHET?s functionality into ACES? various strategic TFM agents will allow fast-time evaluation of the potential for automating robust TFM decision-making under uncertainty.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential commercial applications of PROPHET include:
? Near Real-Time Decision-Support Tool (DST) for specialists at the ATCSCC
? Near Real-Time DST for Traffic Flow Managers at FAA field facilities including ARTCCs, TRACONs, and ATC Towers
? Supporting various industry working groups (such as CDM) in prototyping and evaluating novel TFM concepts
? Supporting airlines in filing flight plans and managing their operations network
? Supporting aviation industry/university researchers
? Applicability to TFM concerns of EuroControl and other international ATM organizations
Through these applications, PROPHET allows users to actively participate in developing robust TFM solutions consistent with local and system-wide concerns.