The Institute of Flight Systems and Automatic Control (FSR) at TU Darmstadt has long-standing knowledge and experience in efficient flight operations and human factors on the flight deck. In this research context, the FSR works in co-operation with industrial partners such as Butterfly, Diehl Aerospace, Garrecht Avionics, Schempp-Hirth and Boeing Germany.

Future Cockpit Concepts

Central to our research are Reduced Crew Operations for commercial airline operations. Considering various challenges (i.e. pilot incapacitation, overly high workload, social loneliness during long flights) with current operations and flight deck designs, a revolutionary approach to flight deck and operations design is pursued. The pilot’s role will change significantly from being an aviator towards being a mission manager.

Currently, research focuses on the development and validation of four key aspects:

• Construction of a ground station to support the mission manager
• Workload analysis and mission manager vigilance during the cruise phase
• Support of the mission manager on board by an intelligent assistant
• Research of a human-machine interface for traffic situation display and collision avoidance for a drone pilot

As part of the project a Reduced Crew Operations simulation environment is currently being developed and set up which will serve as a platform for the evaluation and demonstration of research results concerning Future Cockpit Concepts and Reduced Crew Operations. For contact see Johannes Kleudgen und Johannes Zehnter.

ViCKI (2020-2024)

As part of the “ViCKI” project (virtual crew assistant – context-specific support for reduced crew operations using artificial intelligence), a new operational concept for reduced cockpit crews was developed. The aim was to integrate a virtual intelligent crew assistant that supports the crew in a context-specific manner based on AI. This virtual crew assistant was developed, implemented in a research simulator and evaluated in human-factors experiments. In a safety-critical area such as the cockpit of an aircraft, it was important to make information and interactions comprehensible, especially when dealing with systems based on artificial intelligence. Finally, the developed components were evaluated with regard to their future capabilities. Johannes Kleudgen

The “ViCKI” project was funded by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz as part of the VI-1 Luftfahrtforschungsprogramm.

SAMMIE (2020-2024)

The “SAMMIE” research project investigated a human-machine interface for displaying the traffic situation and collision avoidance for a drone pilot. The aim was to develop a system that provides the drone pilot with sufficient situational awareness of the current traffic situation and displays avoidance trajectories for conflict resolution. ("SAMMIE “,Markus Peukert)

The research project „SAMMIE“ was founded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung as part of the KMU-Innovationsoffensive Mensch-Technik-Interaktion.

Digital Glidercockpit (2016-2019)

As part of the ”DiSCo“ (Digital Glidercockpit) project, an integrated digital glass cockpit for gliders was developed at the FSR. The aim was to develop a fully integrated system that centrally displays the information required to fly gliders and is controlled by a standardised operating concept. By implementing various assistance systems and an optimised display of information, the aim was to increase the safety and performance of the pilot during gliding. To this end, the FSR was investigating human-machine collaboration in the glider cockpit and evaluating the overall system as part of a simulator study.

The research project ”DiSCo" was founded by the Luftfahrtforschungsprogramm V-2 of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie.