The University of Malta's Department of Electronic Systems Engineering was recently invited to Washington DC to present the results of a four-year research programme carried out by the department's key research staff, to major stakeholders in the US aerospace industry. The research has focussed on reducing the risk of aircraft colliding on the runway by developing avionic systems for commercial aircraft to warn the pilot of an impending conflict.
Although runway collisions are rare, the aerospace industry has been committed for over a decade to reducing the risk of such occurrences. Today, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ranks the mitigation of such hazards within the top 10 priority list of 'wanted' items in aviation safety.
In the research, Department academic members of staff David Zammit-Mangion, Brian Zammit, Andrew Sammut and Marc Azzopardi developed and evaluated a system that detects a conflict on the runway and advises the pilot on what action to take to avoid a collision.
"Being able to advise the pilot on what action to take in the situation is a key technology that we have uniquely developed," says Dr Zammit-Mangion, head of the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering. "We have seen several programmes aimed at resolving a potential conflict on the runway, both in the US and Europe, but we are proud to be the first to ever provide a solution that is capable of telling the pilot what to do. Our studies have shown that this is fundamental in circumstances such as during take-off and landing, as the crew is concentrating on demanding and pressing responsibilities during these phases of flight," he explained.
The research work, part of the €600,000 EU-funded research contract won by Dr Zammit-Mangion for the University, has been carried out within 'Flysafe', the EU's flagship €50 million research programme on flight safety. The programme, led by Thales Avionics of France, is made up of 36 partners, including Airbus, Rockwell Collins, various research institutions and universities and two Maltese stakeholders - the University of Malta and Air Malta.
The Department of Electronic Systems Engineering worked very closely with Air Malta and Cranfield University, UK, in the development and evaluation processes associated with the system developed in Malta. Cranfield is a world-renowned post-graduate university in the UK specialising in aerospace studies and research. As part of the contractual requirements, the system was evaluated at Cranfield using a fixed-base flight simulator. Teams of Air Malta pilots assessed the operational aspect of the system with the support of avionics, human factors and simulation specialists from Cranfield University.
Dr Zammit-Mangion, who is also a lecturer at Cranfield, praises the two universities' teams for their achievements: "The research programme in general and the evaluations in particular were a huge success. The two teams - with the help of Air Malta's excellent group of pilots - have carried out a world-class research programme. The results have not only confirmed that we have got the design right - but are also a significant contribution to knowledge and technology in the sector."
The research results were presented to the Flysafe consortium and the wider industry in an open day organised by Cranfield University in June. The event attracted major stakeholders from the European and US sectors of the industry and generated sufficient interest for the US industry to invite Cranfield University and the University of Malta to present these results to Working Group 1 of the RTCA's Steering Committee 186. RTCA Inc. is a private, not-for-profit corporation that develops consensus-based recommendations regarding communications, navigation, surveillance, and air traffic management system issues. This working group, with participation of organisations such as the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, Rockwell Collins, ACSS, Mitre Corporation, Jeppesen and NASA is proposing techniques and technologies to implement in the US to reduce the risk of runway collisions.
The University of Malta's research work was very well received in Washington and the US industry is now expressing further interest in it. Dr Zammit-Mangion expects to further this trans-Atlantic initiative: "For the University of Malta to have attracted (not only) European interest in our research potential, but (also) to generate interest within the US aerospace industry is truly an achievement for us."
Dr Zammit-Mangion has been involved in avionics research since 1997, focusing primarily on aviation safety, surveillance systems, air traffic management and optimisation. With the restructuring of the Faculty of Engineering in July last year, University rector Prof. Juanito Camilleri appointed him as head of the new Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, responsible for the teaching of electronics and research in electronic systems in applications such as the aerospace, marine and automotive industries. The Department is also a key contributor to the faculty's undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering.
The department is highly research-focused, having won in excess of €1 million in international research contracts in the last 12 months alone. "Recognised world-class excellence in research is what drives us. We take pride in then turning this into opportunities for our young graduates and we actively influence our students in this respect.
We firmly believe there is indeed a bright future for research in avionics in Malta," said Dr Zammit-Mangion.
For further information, contact Dr Zammit-Mangion on e-mail: dzmang@eng.um.edu.mt.