AI in Air Traffic ManagementChristian Thurow, Head of R&D at Searidge

WWW.SEARIDGETECH.COM/AIMEE

2

What is Air Traffic Control?

Motivation 1/3

3

Work Increase

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization,Civil Aviation Statistics of the World and ICAO staff estimates.

• Annual Growth: 6-7% • both #passengers and #flights • 2016: 3.7b passengers worldwide

Motivation 2/3

4

Motivation 3/3

5

Our Goals

5

Our Goals

• reduce controller workload

5

Our Goals

• reduce controller workload• increase situational awareness

5

Our Goals

• reduce controller workload• increase situational awareness• declutter workspace

5

Our Goals

• reduce controller workload• increase situational awareness• declutter workspace• provide additional surveillance data source (added safety)

6

What does Searidge do?

6

What does Searidge do?

7

8

Challenges

8

Challenges

• Building the NN

8

Challenges

• Building the NN • Training

8

Challenges

• Building the NN • Training • Inferencing Speed

8

Challenges

• Building the NN • Training • Inferencing Speed• Safety & Acceptance

9

1. Challenge: building the NN

• company policy: c++

9

1. Challenge: building the NN

• company policy: c++• first tried caffe, stayed with it

9

1. Challenge: building the NN

• company policy: c++• first tried caffe, stayed with it• first try with VGG16

9

1. Challenge: building the NN

• company policy: c++• first tried caffe, stayed with it• first try with VGG16• now VGG19 with custom layers for tracking (37 total)

9

1. Challenge: building the NN

• company policy: c++• first tried caffe, stayed with it• first try with VGG16• now VGG19 with custom layers for tracking (37 total)• superior performance over previous algorithm

9

1. Challenge: building the NN

• company policy: c++• first tried caffe, stayed with it• first try with VGG16• now VGG19 with custom layers for tracking (37 total)• superior performance over previous algorithm• problems: small objects

9

1. Challenge: building the NN

2. Challenge: Training

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?• How many annotations needed per site?

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?• How many annotations needed per site?• Same training set for all airports or specific?

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?• How many annotations needed per site?• Same training set for all airports or specific?• How many neurons, layers?

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?• How many annotations needed per site?• Same training set for all airports or specific?• How many neurons, layers?

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?• How many annotations needed per site?• Same training set for all airports or specific?• How many neurons, layers?• How many Epochs?

10

2. Challenge: Training

• Broad vs. Random Training Initialization?• How many annotations needed per site?• Same training set for all airports or specific?• How many neurons, layers?• How many Epochs?

10

11

3. Challenge: inferencing speed

12

4. Challenge: Safety & Acceptance

• safety first in ATC

12

4. Challenge: Safety & Acceptance

• safety first in ATC• need to prove performance

12

4. Challenge: Safety & Acceptance

• safety first in ATC• need to prove performance• regulator decides if system may be used operationally

12

4. Challenge: Safety & Acceptance

• safety first in ATC• need to prove performance• regulator decides if system may be used operationally• we treat ANN as human, same tests as for ATController

12

4. Challenge: Safety & Acceptance

13

Example Images and Videos

• list a couple of sample sites and show actual video

14

Example Images and Videos

15

Example Images and Videos

16

16

17

17

18

19

Future Work

• Optimal Flight Level Prediction • Optimal Aircraft to Gate Assignment • AI Controller Assist • many potential new application in ATC

Thank you!

HEAD OFFICE

19 Camelot Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5W6

PHONE 613 686 3988 TOLL FREE 1 866 799 1555

EMAIL info@searidgetech.com

Thank you for your time.

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

21

Challenge: Annotation

Plattform Screenshots