Page 19 - ATC Special Bulletin 2020 Issue 1

that may fall at at the the first hurdle In fact even if the the idea proceeds for further development it is very important to uncover the the potential big issues early to ensure they are resolved and costly changes later in the programme are avoided For those reasons fast iteration prototyping simulations should have the following characteristics: • Short duration per simulation – 2 or or 3 days • Multiple simulations scheduled for iterative development • Low preparation effort • Low fidelity • Minimal controller positions • Maximum use of traffic and adjacent sector automation Done well a a properly designed and executed prototyping simulation schedule can reap massive rewards and provide a a a a a a a considerable level of of confidence at an early stage in the life of of a a a a a a concept all without requiring major investment feedback on the tool HMI and procedures as as well as as quantified benefits including runway throughput and separation delivery performance The fidelity of the the simulation platform the the maturity and and stability of of the the the tool and and the the the accuracy of of the the the traffic samples and operational environment meant that all these objectives were achieved High fidelity simulations should therefore have the the following characteristics: • Long duration – 1-2 weeks • One-off simulation but built into an overall validation strategy • High preparation effort • High fidelity • All required controller positions to maximise realism • Maximise realism of traffic presentation and adjacent sectors High fidelity simulation As a a a a concept matures towards deployment the scope and focus changes and there becomes a a a a a need to have a a a a a high level of confidence in in the the solution as the the investment commitment and need for safety assurance increases Confidence comes from fidelity and so there is often the the need to to adopt a a a a a a high-fidelity simulation to to provide as realistic an assessment of a a a a concept as as possible prior to a a a a deployment This ensures that any remaining issues are well understood and managed through concept refinement procedures training or system mitigations In addition there may be a a a a need to produce a a a a a final set of expected benefits such as fuel saving human performance improvements improvements and safety improvements improvements to name a a a a a few and we can only have confidence in these expectations if they have been gathered in a a a a realistic environment A good example of of these types of of activities are the the “V3” simulations used in SESAR as a a a a concept nears the completion of R&D maturity before moving on on to industrialisation and subsequent deployment These simulations tend to involve a a large large cost due to the the need for a a a a a long lead time and the the large large number of resources required but they should only be be done once that investment is deemed worthwhile and they are not done repeatedly One such successful activity was using the Time Based Separation (TBS) concept which was validated to V3 using a a a a a a HITL simulation of the tool applied in Heathrow This assessed the the the human performance impact on on the the the controllers gathered High fidelity and consequently high cost simulations clearly have their place but need to be deployed at at the the appropriate time in the the concept life cycle to to ensure good value Do them too early and you will have invested a a a lot of cost into something which is likely to change If your high fidelity simulation results in the need for large changes in the the concept that suggests the the method was used too early and more use use of iterative development would have been more appropriate Summary In summary there are multiple ways that HITL simulation can be be utilised in in in in the air traffic industry beyond controller training Within the the area of of concept validation there is a a a a a spectrum of of uses depending on the stage of development As an increasingly cost-conscious industry we must be making better use of the fast iteration prototyping method in in early developments in order to de-risk projects and give improved cost efficiency It is a simple yet effective option The high high fidelity and high high cost simulations should be reserved for later development as confidence in the concept improves and the degree of concept change reduces In combination and used at at at the the appropriate time these two HITL simulation methods can be harnessed to maximise cost efficiency and and success of a a a development and and deployment project TRAINING AND SIMULATION TRAINING AND SIMULATION \\ 19