Unmanned traffic management (UTM) is a key NASA initiative to integrate low altitude UAS into the national airspace system, and one of UTM key thrusts is to ensure safe usage of UAS. Technologies…

This is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to Human Automation Teaming Solutions, Inc. The contract is for the development of a Human Autonomy Teaming Interface System (HATIS) to support NASA's Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) initiative, which aims to safely integrate low-altitude unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System.

The HATIS system will provide tools, multimodal interfaces, and human-autonomy teaming software to enable collaboration between human operators and UTM/UAS automation for real-time risk management and mitigation. The Phase I effort will focus on requirements development, architecture design, and a proof-of-concept demonstration, with Phase II to follow for implementation and technology transition. The total potential value of this Firm Fixed Price contract is $124,939.

Unmanned traffic management (UTM) is a key NASA initiative to integrate low altitude UAS into the national airspace system, and one of UTM key thrusts is to ensure safe usage of UAS. Technologies which can be used for real-time risk assessment of UAS flights are being developed by UTM safety researchers, but there is currently no user interface to connect these technologies with the UTM managers and/or UAS operators. We propose to develop a human autonomy teaming interface system (hatis) composed of tools, multimodal interfaces, and human-autonomy teaming software, which will permit human operators and UTM/UAS automation to collaborate in real-time risk management and mitigation (RMM). In phase i, we will work collaboratively with UTM safety researchers throughout the project to identify hazard categories; make assumptions about UTM RRM roles, responsibilities, and automation capabilities; develop representative use cases; formulate hatis requirements for interface, software, and interoperability; design and document hatis architecture; and demonstrate hatis proof-of-concept through interactive wireframes of interfaces and presentation of software architecture. In phase II, we will implement hatis interfaces and software components, work with UTM safety researchers to transition hatis to NASA, and identify technology transition partners and develop a commercialization plan.