ASS “ATM System Simulator”
We in ATM are compelled at creating acronyms for out projects. Here is my contribution to this!
My colleague and I got recently interested in how simulations in general are being used in ATM.
Introduction:
What we discovered is that apart from the obvious suspects, such as simulating traffic for personnel training and real and fast time simulations to validate airspace configurations tools and procedures, the ATM community is using simulations for quite a number of other reasons, such as:
- Emission modelling with reference to environment and ATM
- Direct and indirect environmental impact of airport operations around airports
- Probabilistic or mathematical simulators
- Modelling simulators to test air traffic flow management operational feasibility and performance assessments.
- Etc.
But what seems to still be missing and in my opinion needed is to develop a simulation of the whole ATM system with perhaps an angle of attack aiming at the humans in the system. The idea is to replicate SIMS City or The Sims with ASS.
This would be a relatively complex project in which the variables, margins, interactions and possibilities of the main components of the system need to be described within the simulation. The architecture of the system is already described in projects such as OATA Overall ATM/CNS Target Architecture another acronym.
Then the various human actors in the system could take up a role and then have to interact with the other humans and with the automated part of the system.
What is the aim?
The aim of this simulation platform would be to teach and sensibilise various actors on specific areas of their roles and also to get them appreciate the roles of others.
Once mature, it could also be used to test the introduction of new sub-systems and how other parts, humans and non humans react to this.
What would be the areas covered?
The system could be built in a modular approach with a core module revolving around ATC ops and the others building up from it [of course other approaches could be envisaged]
- The ATC system “ including teamwork, interaction with the machine, controlling traffic, hierarchy, interaction with engineers, etc.
- The SWIM [System wide Information Management]
- Flow Management “ both central and local and interaction with ATC
- Safety Management, including Safety Management and Investigations
- Technical: System maintenance, new enhancements, etc.
- Etc.
Would it be the only system to be simulated?
By means no, systems such as the military [e.g. working inside a submarine, or going to field missions] or the Nuclear Power System have already been simulated.
The cost benefit seems to be favourable to fields in which the system is complex and that it is less risky / laboruous / costly to train and trial on the real system than it is to develop a simulated system.
The cost of such an endeavour could be consequent, however the benefit of having the ATM System being simulated will have a lot of benefits such as:
- Better appreciation of roles and responsibilities by those involved.
- A great training tool to let students appreciate the needs of other aspects of the system. E.g. To describe the role of the safety manager to a controller.
- A test bed for the introduction or changes in sub-system elements.
Better appreciation of the dependencies and the complexities of the system.
Conclusion:
Various simulation tools are used in various ATM fields.
A holistic ATM System Simulation tool does not exist yet. The way technology is evolving, this is not science fiction any more and a number of industries have made the leap to describe their system in a simulated environment with operational success and clear benefits.
Not to be overwhelming, the development of the system should be made in a modular form.
So who is in to define with me the needs and specifications for this?
