UAS and Manned Aircraft Autonomy

This week I got to delve a little deeper into autonomy in aviation, and the different levels of autonomy that are available in UAS. A brief summary of what was learned is as follows...

Describe the levels of automation and how they are applied to UAS operations.

Levels of automation is largely dependent on the extent of automation-enabled parts or systems that are contained in a UAS as well as design in terms of the required amount of manual/ human intervention. Moving away from manual control of UAS, two capabilities are available, autonomy and automation. Autonomy means the UAS platform will operate independently and can make decisions. Automation means the UAS follows commands and cannot make decisions. The 5 levels of UAS autonomy are as follows:

1- The pilot remains in control but the UAS can perform one function.

2- The UAS can take over altitude and heading.

3- UAS can perform all functions and the pilot acts as a fallback.

4- No pilot and the UAS has a backup system to ensure stability.

5- Full automation where UAS can use artificial intelligence as a learning system.

Are there different considerations for manned versus UAS operations when it comes to UAS?

Yes, the different considerations will be dependent on the type of task that has to be performed. UAS are more dependent on autonomy because the pilot is separated from the aircraft with reduced sensory cues, the inability to look out of a window and make decisions based on what they see, and the risk of losing the control and command link. The pilot of a UAV also has significantly more systems to monitor and manage as a result of the separation between them and the UAV, which can increase levels of stress and fatigue and may lead to a loss in situational awareness. In manned aircraft, the pilot is in the cockpit to monitor systems and take immediate action in case of any system malfunctioning indications, and can take manual control when necessary. When UAS operation is conducted in an area where the safety of the public is at stake, then a lower level of automation would be required to have the human cognizance and experience present. In operations such as the agricultural sector, a higher level of autonomy would be acceptable as the risk factor becomes lower.

Do you think that the aviation industry currently uses the appropriate amount, too little, or too much automation?

I believe that we are using the correct amount of automation to accommodate the needs and requirements of the aviation industry. Automation is evolving but there is still enough human interaction to take over in case of a malfunction in automated systems.