Application of Expert Systems in Air Traffic Control

Increased automation of air traffic control (ATC) systems appears to offer a solution to the dual problem of handling higher levels of air traffic while reducing the costs incurred by the ATC system itself and the aircraft under control. Because of the complexity of the ATC system, expert systems may provide a valuable addition to human decision making and conventional data processing in the design of future ATC systems. A number of potential applications, including traffic flow management, controller support functions, system failure management, training, and system configuration planning, are described, and the special requirements of expert systems developed for realtime control applications are discussed. The structure of a prototype expert system to assist in air traffic flow management is described. The paper concludes with a brief examination of the potential for applying similar techniques to other transportation control systems.