In today’s aviation landscape, aircraft have become increasingly autonomous, taking on the majority of the flight operations from departure to arrival. However, most aircraft still require human intervention for takeoff, landing, and navigating potential hazards in the sky. Nevertheless, there are two helicopters that stand out in their ability to perform these tasks autonomously.
The first helicopter is the Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA), which is a modified medium-sized rotorcraft known as the S-76B. SARA has been specifically equipped with an autonomous system called Matrix, consisting of both hardware and software components. While Matrix simplifies aircraft operation for pilots, it can also fly the helicopter independently when necessary.
The second helicopter is referred to as the Optionally Piloted Vehicle, developed by DARPA. This military Black Hawk helicopter is equipped with the same Matrix system and achieved its first flight without a pilot on board in 2022.
Recently, these two helicopters came together in Long Island Sound to attempt a groundbreaking feat: flying towards each other while utilizing collision avoidance software developed by NASA. Notably, NASA had developed five different software suites, all of which were integrated into the helicopters’ Matrix systems. The objective was to determine if the helicopters could detect and avoid potential threats.
The threats faced by the helicopters were not limited to each other. In fact, the software introduced 150 virtual aircraft and their flight plans into the helicopters’ systems through coding. The goal was to test the helicopters’ ability to navigate and avoid collisions with these virtual entities.
The software powering the helicopters performed flawlessly during the tests. It autonomously adjusted the altitude, speed, and direction of the helicopters to avoid any potential collisions with each other or the virtual aircraft present in the sky.
The collaborative effort between Sikorsky, NASA, and DARPA resulted in 12 flights conducted in Long Island Sound. These flights involved 70 maneuvers and accumulated a total of 60 flight hours. It is worth mentioning that although the helicopters were capable of flying themselves, human pilots were on board to supervise the operations. This not only ensured the safety of the flights but also allowed for the evaluation of human interaction with autonomous systems.
The tests conducted were not solely for military purposes. The collision avoidance software provided by NASA is part of their efforts to establish a framework for the successful deployment of air taxis. Additionally, there are plans to share the findings from these tests and future ones with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This collaboration will enable the FAA to integrate Advanced Air Mobility systems into the national airspace.