Taking control

This visual decision-support tool was designed at TU Delft and could one day help potential air traffic controllers acquire the expertise that they’ll need while on the job.

The most vital components of working in an air traffic control tower include nerves of steel, a calm demeanour and a strong set of additional skills, especially when it comes to Conflict Detection and Resolution. This is the term commonly used among controllers to prevent airplanes from inadvertently crossing into each other’s airspace.

“What the Solution Space Diagram does is give extra information about solution space for conflicting aircraft,” Visser said. “It depicts where solution options lay, and where they do not, revealing why certain strategies for solutions are chosen. This can create a deeper understanding for novice controllers during training.”

The system’s interface not only makes the process of alerting a controller about potential conflicts and making swift decisions more fluid, it also quickly provides them with information about each aircraft’s velocity, altitude, steering capabilities and other important details. Visser studied a recent experiment involving sixteen participants who used the Solution Space Diagram. He discovered that they adopted a different series of decision-making strategies in specific conflict scenarios. This could prove beneficial for future training programmes.

As it stands, becoming an air traffic controller is very difficult. Here in the Netherlands, only a handful of those who pursue this very demanding career are successful.

“It’s a bit like trying to become an F-16 pilot,” Visser said. “Probably about a thousand try out for the selection every year and only 40 make it. There are two classes of 20 students. Then they begin a three or four year course with really specific training and the active monitoring of each student’s skill level. Only about four to ten of them from each class make it to the end.”

The Solution Space Diagram could help the training process become an easier task for both students and instructors alike while making Conflict Detection and Resolution simpler in control towers around the world. However, several more years of development could be required before it’s incorporated throughout the industry.

“At this point, it’s been in development at Aerospace Engineering for the past few years,” Visser said. “Several functions have been added and tested but implementing it has not been done yet.”

Visser, R.M., Ecological Interface Design: Training Air Traffic Control Novices in Conflict Detection and Resolution, PhD supervisors Dr. C. Borst, Dr. M. Mulder, Dr. M.M. van Paassen, Defence: February, 17, 2016.