Weather Integrated Network Design Software

NASA is supporting the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) concept for safe, sustainable, affordable, and accessible aviation (e.g., passenger and cargo transport). As operations occur in a dynamic environment in which spatial and temporal conditions vary rapidly, a reliable network of cost-effective weather sensors is required to meet regulatory and safety constraints. To address this need, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (Intellisense) proposes, in Phase II, to advance development of the Weather Integrated Network Design Software (WINDS) system proven feasible in Phase I. WINDS automatically designs scalable and robust weather-sensing networks to support AAM operations in the most cost-effective way possible. The web-based tool includes a database of sensing technologies and sensors ranked per performance-based weather standard tiers. WINDS leverages a mapping and topography tool to analyze system performance over the user-defined operational area and mission requirements. Its network synthesis generates a list of weather networks with clear illustrations of tradeoffs between various configurations, including cost. The network synthesis algorithm navigates an underlying rule-based regulatory model that links weather network capability to unmanned aerial system safety in specific airspace. WINDS outputs tailored system designs that refine cost, core functionality (e.g., communications), and performance to provide the most cost-effective solution possible to the AAM customer. During Phase I, Intellisense demonstrated WINDS feasibility by developing a network synthesis prototype and gathering an initial sensor catalog. In Phase II, Intellisense will develop a feature-complete prototype and demonstrate it via network synthesis and deployment at a key AAM site. At the end of Phase II, Intellisense plans to identify and onboard third-party weather provider users to the alpha software release and secure funding commitments for continued maturation in Phases II/E. At ~$1M per install, FAA-approved weather stations are limited to large airports and cannot support AAM routes. To address this, a draft ASTM standard has categorized non-FAA weather measurements into three tiers which can be used to augment legacy aviation-grade weather equipment so that AAM mission requirements can be met at significantly lower cost. Currently, sensors need to be selected by human experts who may not be familiar with the local geography or mission requirements. Intellisense’s WINDS tool addresses these shortcomings while reducing system cost by utilizing an Intellisense-compiled weather sensor catalog with a broad array of external data sources, providing an analytic foundation for UAS safety risk assessment given various conditions. The software allows for definition of fixed parameters such as installation locations, geospatial observation extent, and UAS classes that operate within the network’s extent. WINDS’s multi-objective pathfinding algorithm then generates a slate of compliant weather networks with tradeoffs between configurations including cost. The objective of this effort is to develop a WINDS system that automatically generates the most cost-efficient weather sensing network possible while meeting all AAM regulatory and safety requirements. Specifically, in Phase II, Intellisense will develop a feature-complete, alpha release, web-based system architecture leveraging feedback from both NASA and key commercial and government AAM stakeholders. Intellisense will expand a catalog of commercial Tier 1 to Tier 3 weather sensors initially compiled in Phase I. The catalog will include performance parameters, costs, and additional sustainment information. The culmination of this work will enable Intellisense to demonstrate the prototype software at a key AAM site. Intellisense will install sensors based on the auto-generated network and collect data to assess the efficacity of the system. Throughout Phase II, Intellisense will work to build relationships with companies interested in developing and deploying their own weather sensing networks with the goal of providing alpha software for their evaluation. This strategy will be used to capture interested parties and secure funding commitments to match a Phase II/E investment that will transition the software fully into commercial markets.
Benefits: The WINDS system has direct applicability to NASA research, specifically to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) mission to accelerate applications of passenger transport, aerial work, and cargo transport. Among the three pillars of the AAM ecosystem (vehicle, airspace, and community), weather is a critical component, and the WINDS technology addresses this critical need by deploying reliable, robust weather networks that meet regulatory and mission requirements at the lowest cost possible. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) will revolutionize transportation and delivery. An enormous impact is expected on the commercial aerospace industry and regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Safe operation of all aircraft including new electric and hybrid aircraft (e.g., Wisk Aero) requires monitoring of the weather, and the WINDS system is an essential planning tool to address this need.