Professor Roberto Sabatini
FRIN, SMIEEE, SMAIAA, MRAeS, MCGI
Air Transport and Aviation Technology Team Leader
Head of the Intelligent Transport Systems Research Group
School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
RMIT University, Building 251, Level 3, Room 24
Corner of McKimmies St and Ormond Blvd, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia

Telephone: +61 3 992 58015
E-mail: roberto.sabatini@rmit.edu.au
Website: http://www.rmit.edu.au/staff/roberto-sabatini

Roberto (Rob) Sabatini is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Systems at RMIT University (Australia) with more than 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry and in academia. He is an expert in Air Traffic Management (ATM), avionics and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), with specific hands-on competence in aeronautical Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS), flight Guidance, Control and Dynamics (GCD), aviation human factors engineering (cognitive HMI, human-machine teaming and trusted autonomy), and multi-sensor data fusion for civil and military applications. During his career, Rob was responsible for numerous research and development programs on a variety of ATM and avionics systems for manned and unmanned aircraft, and he has authored or co-authored more than 280 publications.

This invited keynote paper addresses contemporary issues in Air Traffic Management (ATM) focussing on the crucial challenge currently faced by the aviation industry: enhancing safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability of the sector in an era of steady air traffic growth. The aim is to foster opportunities for industrial innovation and multidisciplinary research collaboration in areas of strategic interest such as future systems for Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM), Dynamic Airspace Management (DAM) and cooperative/non-cooperative surveillance, towards establishing a coherent framework for the evolution of the ATM sector in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

Next-generation ATM concepts are being developed by the major research initiatives in this domain including SESAR in Europe, NextGen in the US, OneSky in Australia and other programmes worldwide including CARATS in Japan, SIRIUS in Brazil, FIANS in India, and others. Although the various countries involved are addressing national priorities and specificities in different ways (with a consequent need to address harmonisation and interoperability requirements both at a regional and global level) all programs converge in promoting the evolution of ATM into a highly automated, integrated and collaborative system, allowing a more flexible and efficient use of the airspace resources through higher levels of automation and information sharing. The anticipated CNS/ATM innovations include:

• Four Dimensional (4D) Trajectory Based Operations (TBO);

• Performance-Based Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (PBC/PBN/PBS), enabling CNS Performance-Based Operations (PBO);

• System Wide Information Management (SWIM);

• Enhanced ground and satellite-based aeronautical communications, involving a substantial exploitation of data-link technology;

• Ground, Avionics and Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS/ABAS/SBAS) enabling Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) as primary means of navigation in all flight phases, including precision approach and auto-landing;

• Enhanced ground-based and satellite-based surveillance, including Automated Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) and Self-Separation Assurance;

• Collaborative Decision Making (CDM);

• Dynamic Airspace Management (DAM);

• Advances in Human Machine Interface and Interaction (HMI2), including cognitive forms of HMI2 adaptation.

In order to deploy these enhanced capabilities, advances in integrated Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) and Avionics (CNS+A) systems are essential. Therefore, new ground-based and airborne CNS+A systems are being developed to improve the operational efficiency and environmental sustainability of aviation, while at the same time ensuring higher levels of safety and interoperability.

Taking the move from SESAR/NextGen/OneSky top-level operational and technical requirements, this keynote paper presents integrated CNS+A system architectures implementing 4D Trajectory Optimisation (4DTO) algorithms, data link communications and enhanced surveillance technologies, as well as adaptive forms of Human-Machine Interface and Interaction (HMI2), allowing the automated negotiation and validation of aircraft intents for safer and more efficient ATM operations. As an integral part of this CNS+A evolutionary process, specific requirements for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) cooperative/non-cooperative Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) are being addressed in order to allow the safe and unrestricted access of RPAS to all classes of airspace.