Defining autonomy capabilities in aviation BOX 1 Automation in self-contained, functional areas (e.g. the autopilot, as a combination of steering and navigation) has been considered an industry standard in aviation for years. However, it will still take time until the industry achieves high levels of automation. A clear taxonomy can help – in the automotive sector, there is a well-established taxonomy on the levels of driving automation, but an automation taxonomy is yet to be agreed upon by the aviation ecosystem. Figure 1 presents an automation taxonomy for aviation. It is a simplified framework on the distribution of key responsibilities and actions between the human and the aircraft. This taxonomy identifies three key stages: human-in- the-loop, human-on-the-loop and human-over- the-loop. While the human-in-the-loop still owns and performs tasks itself (e.g. controlling and communicating), the human-on-the-loop may operate multiple aircraft remotely from the ground. Towards full automation, the human eventually moves over-the-loop during the operations, with humans only setting the goal of the mission and supervising fleets in multi-vehicle operations.The actions among the key functions of aviation have been clustered into three main categories: aviate, navigate and communicate. Each of these main categories will, for the different automation degrees, have sub-systems that will be manual, automatic, automated or autonomous. This can vary depending on the phase of the flight (e.g. take-off vs. cruising) and the potential hazards (e.g. weather conditions, traffic and technical failure). The first automation functionalities have a safety- enhancing goal and evolve into more efficiency- improving goals once their safety is guaranteed – as technical capabilities and public acceptance increase further. The role and location of the pilot changes with increasing automation. For example, in a remotely supervised or autonomous aircraft, the pilot may be located outside of the aircraft. This will have an impact on public perception. However, an aircraft with the two highest degrees of automation should never require the pilot (be there a pilot onboard or not) to take control of an autonomous aircraft to avert an incident – though they may choose to do so voluntarily. Advanced Air Mobility: Shaping the Future of Aviation 6

Advanced Air Mobility 2024