ASTM International Tackles Automation-Centric Design Paradigm for Aviation Industry

A standards-setting organization is set to address the role of autonomy in aviation at its upcoming symposium. ASTM International’s Autonomy in Aviation Symposium, scheduled for early October in Jacksonville, Florida, will focus on how advanced systems can reduce reliance on exceptional pilot skill or extensive training.

The 7th Annual ASTM Autonomy in Aviation Symposium aims to pave the way for increasingly capable automation. According to the event webpage, hosted by ASTM’s Autonomy Design and Operations in Aviation Administrative Committee, the goal is to safely move the industry towards an automation-centric design paradigm.

Wes Ryan, committee chair and Northrop Grumman fellow for airworthiness of autonomy and AI, emphasized that the focus is on allowing automation to handle ‘low-level’ events, such as basic system malfunctions. This would enable pilots to manage safe outcomes at a higher level, focusing on mission outcome rather than intervening in routine tasks.

ASTM creates standards for materials and methods that represent voluntary consensus in an industry. These standards are frequently adopted by regulators, including the FAA. For instance, last year’s MOSAIC rule updated light-sport aircraft and sport pilot privileges, citing four ASTM standards.

The autonomy committee is not yet tackling specific standards but intends to publish a paper on automation in aviation within a year after the symposium. Ryan noted that this will provide crucial guidance for industry stakeholders.

Since 2019, ASTM has published increasingly specific guidance on this topic. For example, its 2020 technical report aimed to promote the sound application of technical best practices and increase aviation autonomy. The group also highlighted unresolved questions around autonomous flight in a 2023 white paper.

The symposium is meant to foster conversation around these and other questions. Ryan emphasized that there is a need for increased industry consensus and regulatory guidance, given the start of FAA’s eIPP initiative to accelerate the rollout of electric aircraft services and the U.S. military’s growing adoption of autonomous aircraft and related technologies.

In particular, the October event will focus on best practices for aircraft design that ensure safety while allowing the role of the pilot or operator to adapt depending on the level of automation. Ryan views this as a shift away from requiring pilots to intervene in routine tasks and toward allowing automation to handle such events.

This approach would enable pilots to ‘manage safe outcomes at a high level, a mission outcome level,’ so they become more systems managers rather than being involved in low-level tasks. Ryan described this concept as ‘carefree handling.’

Speakers confirmed for the event include David Mindell, an aerospace professor at MIT and author of the book ‘Our Robots, Ourselves,’ along with representatives from FAA and NASA. Boeing-owned Wisk’s regulatory affairs lead Tom Gunnarson will also be in attendance.

Gunnarson noted that ASTM represents a broad forum to steer oversight of new technology. He emphasized that regulators are focused on safety, so if they indicate developing performance-based rules, standards bodies can develop the means of compliance.

The aviation and aerospace industries will closely watch the conference and general discussion on autonomy. Ella Atkins, a professor of aerospace who directs Virginia Tech’s Autonomous Aerospace Systems Lab, highlighted the importance of ‘trust calibration’ in autonomous systems.

Atkins explained that humans need to be able to trust autonomy while also having override capabilities if the machine starts to malfunction. Unfortunately, flight crews may not always have the best intentions, so machines must ensure their trust in humans is not absolute.