New Developments in Aerospace Guidance and Control: Knowledge-Based Pilot Assistance

Summary New developments In aerospace guidance and control are focussed to a great extent on the functional system enhancement through knowledge processing. In particular, the main traits of knowledge-based pilot assistance and the state of the art In this field will be adressed with this paper. Knowledge-based pilot assistance provides the capacity of autonomous support functions for situation assessment, including pilot action and intent monitoring, planning and lower level service functions. The assistance becomes effective only, if a comprehensive dynamic model of the human cockpit crew is incorporated in the system design. For illustration purposes, the German development of a cockpit assistant system for instrument flight operation is presented as a representative example.