Tools
For projects dealing with the air-ground cooperation, the SAS team makes use of SAM, the DTI modular cockpit simulator.
The team has also developed RITA (Replay Interface for TCAS Alerts), a tool to support the training of Air Traffic Controllers (and pilots) on TCAS II. RITA enables to replay interesting TCAS events. RITA display falls into 4 main parts:
- an air traffic controller view, showing the whole traffic and the ground safety net alerts (radar display);
- A pilot view, showing TCAS information (VSI type display - Vertical Speed Indicator);
- transcription of radio communications between the air traffic controller(s) and the pilot(s);
- supervision.
The input data are radar recordings, results from TCAS simulation made with the OSCAR tool (Off-line Simulator for Collision Avoidance Resolution) and transcriptions from R/T comms.
OSCAR test bed provides simulations of TCAS from radar data or hand-made encounters, and makes it possible to evaluate evolutions of the ACAS logic, or conduct safety studies.
Simulations from radar data enable to a priori determine:
- areas where ACAS can interfere with ATC,
- benefits in terms of safety,
- drawbacks due to "unnecessary" ACAS alerts.
The evolutions of the collision avoidance logic can be tested and validated.