{"id":24732,"date":"2023-02-06T18:12:15","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T18:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saj.pachecostudios.com?p=24732"},"modified":"2023-02-06T18:12:17","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T18:12:17","slug":"nartp-gets-2-25m-to-advance-airfield-automation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/new-jersey\/nartp-gets-2-25m-to-advance-airfield-automation\/%20","title":{"rendered":"NARTP Gets $2.25M to Advance Airfield Automation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The National Aerospace Research & Technology Park\n(NARTP) was awarded a $2.249 million congressionally directed spending request,\nsponsored by Senators Menendez and Booker, to advance development and testing\nof autonomous devices that can perform routine, recurring, labor-intensive\nactivities on military and civilian airfields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initial phase of the Airfield Autonomy Initiative (AAI)\nwill focus on automated lawn mowing, foreign object debris sweeping, and\nperimeter patrol. Devices used for these purposes will enable more efficient\nand reliable ground operations and increase the safety of workers, equipment,\nand aircraft. They will also reduce the operating costs and labor required to\ncomplete a variety of maintenance, security, and operational tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Howard J. Kyle, President\/CEO, the NARTP will\nwork in cooperation with the USAF Air Mobility Command, the National Center for\nManufacturing Sciences, the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC), the\nAtlantic County Economic Alliance, and private industry, to pioneer development\nand demonstration of the first-ever, dual-use, airfield-specific autonomy\ncommand and control (C2) systems. \u201cWe are extremely grateful to Senators\nMenendez and Booker for their support for both this project and the NARTP,\u201d\nstated Kyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Loeben, Chairman, NARTP Board of Directors and a\nretired USAF Major General and current American Airlines Captain, noted that\n\u201cDeveloping and successfully demonstrating vigorous C2 systems that can safely\noperate, track, coordinate, communicate, navigate, and deconflict multiple\ntypes of automated devices from a variety of technology providers is a critical\nstep forward in increasing airport efficiencies and reducing costs. AAI\ntechnologies are expected to grow into a multimillion-dollar industry with\nworldwide demand. I am pleased that the NARTP will be helping to facilitate\ntheir development for both military and civilian airfields.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some automated technologies are currently available,\nwhat needs to be developed are software systems that weave together a\ncomprehensive operating system that would enable these devices to be safely\nincorporated into airfield operations in a manner that is both scalable and\nreplicable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Kyle, the FAA is working with USAF Air Mobility\nCommand on airport autonomy efforts to prepare for standards and certifications\nof the research developed by industry. \u201cThe goal is for all partners to build\nrelationships that ensure the United States remains the leader in aviation\nwhile providing the safest, most efficient aerospace systems in the world,\u201d he\nsaid. \u201cIt will also help overcome personnel shortages that impede both the\nmilitary and civilian operators while enabling operators to focus on more\ncritical, hands-on tasks that boost aircraft turnaround times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AAI project will use a \u201ccrawl, walk, run\u201d approach\nthrough a multiphase process that ensures the safety and integrity of\nautonomous systems, starting with devices that are furthest removed from operational\naircraft (such as automated lawnmowers) and gradually advancing over time to\ndevices that come into full contact with aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NARTP is a key element of New Jersey\u2019s only\nstate-recognized Aviation Innovation Hub, located in Egg Harbor Township, which\nlinks the park to the WJHTC and Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), a\nSmart Airport Testbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planned demonstrations of C2 systems will focus on\nuncovering control and safety unknowns in a dynamic airfield environment at\nJoint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as well as ACY starting in Spring 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
NARTP Building Exterior<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The NARTP is catalyzing innovation with an ecosystem of\npartnerships and harnessing the power of collaboration, facilitating research\nand development, innovation, and commercialization of emerging aviation\ntechnologies. NARTP is located on a 58-acre parcel adjoining the Federal\nAviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center, an internationally\nrecognized facility dedicated to research, development, and sustainment of the\nNational Airspace System; and the Atlantic City International Airport, a\ndesignated Smart Airport Research Testbed Facility. NARTP tenants are\nperforming leading research in Uncrewed Aerial Systems\/Advanced Air Mobility\n(UAS\/AAM) focusing on the safety implications of nascent UAS operational\nconcepts, their testing and certification, as well as the emerging technologies\nneeded to support the development of new regulatory standards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The National Aerospace Research & Technology Park (NARTP) was awarded a $2.249 million congressionally directed spending request, sponsored by Senators Menendez and Booker, to advance development and testing of autonomous devices that can perform routine, recurring, labor-intensive activities on military and civilian airfields. The initial phase of the Airfield Autonomy Initiative (AAI) will focus on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-jersey"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24732"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24734,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24732\/revisions\/24734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}