AN IDEA FOR PURDUE’S ATC TECH INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS ANTI-LUDDITE FAA?
PURDUE UNIVERSITY, SAAB AND ERICSSON announced, see below, a collaboration at the University’s Airport to develop innovations for flight operations at airports. Existing advanced technologies of the two private companies will be assessed for synergetic applications plus the Purdue faculty, laboratory and research capabilities will explore other avenues to enhance aviation safety. The potential benefits are immense.
The obvious customer and regulator of this collaboration is the FAA. That organization’s mission, assuring safety, does play well with innovation. A prime example of this reluctance is its endless “review-with-no-progress” (timeline of a decade) of Saab’s REMOTE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL technology suggests that reluctance borders of LUDDITE BEHAVIOR, especially given that the SAAB system had been certified and used in GERMANY, NORWAY, SWEDEN, AND THE U.K. Reason Foundation’s Robert Poole has detailed the agency staff’s inability (or is it unwillingness) to complete their review.
With that background, it might behoove Dr. Crossley, head of the Aeronautics and Astronautics (AAE), to invite someone from the FAA’s Technology staff to actively participate in this work!!! Crossley knows the FAA; he lists his consultancy to FAA NextGen Aeronautics; Director for the Partnership to Enhance general Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability; Chair of the ACE for General Aviation’s Aerospace Systems area and Design Committees. A Purdue Fellow, a Visting Industry Expert, Technical Advisor??? The experience might contribute to the prerequisite to the FAA’s approval and use of these innovations.
The FAA’s IMMEDIATE challenges have been documented with the DOT Office of Inspector General’s Report defined the need to find solutions NOW. Sparing a senior FAA ATC technology might help deliver useful technology to fix this desperate problem
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New Airport Operations Technology Lifts Off from Saab-Purdue University Collaboration
An ongoing partnership between SAAB, ERICSSON, AND PURDUE UNIVERSITY will transform aviation and airport safety operations.
In 2023, Purdue University opened its OPEN INNOVATION PLATFORM (OIP) at Purdue University Airport, a testbed for aviation and airport operation, in collaboration with Saab, Ericsson and the Purdue Research Foundation. At the OIP, RESEARCHERS UTILIZE SAAB’S COOPERATIVE SURVEILLANCE, INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING TOOLS COMBINED WITH ERICSSON’S SECURE AND RELIABLE PRIVATE NETWORK SOLUTIONS. The result is technological advancements that will help advance the safety, security and efficiency of air travel around the globe.
The partnership between Saab, Purdue, and Ericsson is a natural fit with Purdue and Saab’s combined legacy of aviation innovation. While the lab at Purdue University Airport has been open for just over a year, it is already delivering results.
The OIP is focused on addressing airports’ operational and technical challenges due to RAPID AIR TRAFFIC VOLUME GROWTH and EVOLVING TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS. One challenge is how airports can better address UNAUTHORIZED DRONES (UAS) near active runways, taxiways and adjacent airspace.
In addition to safety risks, drone incursions can disrupt airport operations and result in costly downtime for airports and airlines.
To address this challenge, Saab researchers at the OIP deployed a solution based on its flagship incident response platform, SAFE. The new technology enables coordinated and proportional responses to drone-related disruption.
The new SAFE capability combines Saab’s Aerobahn suite with Ericsson’s 5G network and devices from the company’s frequent partner, Zebra Technology. SAFE’s new application will ensure that key players can always stay connected. Additionally, the streamlined process allows for drone incidents to be resolved in a more organized and efficient way to increase safety and decrease the impact of any potential shutdown.
The OIP is a landmark in collaboration across industry and academia, generating state-of-the-art solutions that will improve the safety of air travel around the world,” said Sarah Schoof, vice president and general manager of Surveillance Systems. “The new SAFE platform update is the first of many advancements we anticipate arising from the collaboration.”
Saab is dedicated to developing innovations to make air travel safer and more efficient through ongoing collaboration with partners like Ericsson and Purdue University, always working to keep people and society safe.
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