€200,000 in research funds from MCST for the development of a tool that analyses flight data to enhance flight safety and efficiency
Following an investment of €200,000 in funds from the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST), a collaboration led by the Institute for Aerospace Technologies and supported by the Department of Communications and Computer Engineering at the University of Malta, and industrial partners QuAero led to the development of a tool by which modern machine learning techniques are adopted to analyse flight data.
Typically, aircraft data is recorded during flight and then analysed to assess the performance of the aircraft. This innovative tool by the name of Smart FDM (Smart Flight Data Monitoring) allows to compare data from a large aircraft fleet, establish potential anomalies in the data, and trace it to the contributing flight parameters. This data can then be used to improve post monitoring analysis, increase operation efficiency, and enhance safety, resulting in larger commercial return and reducing the impact of the airline’s operations on the environment.
This innovative research has led to the registration of a patent application.
Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation Owen Bonnici attended the event held at the Esplora Interactive Science Centre – an event aimed to promote this innovative research and celebrate the work and results accomplished by the researchers involved. Minister Bonnici praised the valuable work done by the researchers and thanked MCST for supporting such projects and strengthening the R&I pillar in Malta.
“The formation of consortia between the public and the private sectors is crucial for the concretisation of research projects that will eventually lead to innovative solutions, which will ultimately result in economic growth for our country and its people. When knowledge transfer between academic researchers and industrial manufacturing experts takes place, real innovation can happen”, said the minister.
In his opening remarks, MCST Executive Chairman Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said that, “The Malta Council for Science and Technology is committed to cultivating a culture of research and innovation in Malta and that this is primarily achieved through FUSION, the National R&I program. The SmartFDM consortium received approximately €199,700 under this funding program. The success of the consortium is a result of the synergies between the project coordinators and their stakeholders to resolve pressing issues related to aircraft safety and efficiency. It is an excellent example of how research can lead to the creation of innovative products for the common good.”
SmartFDM lead investigator Dr Robert Camilleri said that this research aims to widen the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence into the aviation industry. The research has highlighted that this offers benefits in the ability to capture anomalies from aircraft fleet and investigate their origins, thereby enhancing safety and improving the operational aspects of airlines. The team is now in the process to protect their IP and develop a commercial tool.
SmartFDM is financed by the Malta Council for Science and Technology, for and on behalf of the Foundation for Science and Technology, through the FUSION: R&I Technology Development Programme.
200,000 f’fondi għar-riċerka mill-MCST għall-produzzjoni ta’ apparat li janalizza d-data tat-titjiriet biex itejjeb is-sikurezza u l-effiċjenza
Bl-għajnuna ta’ €200,000 f’fondi mill-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija (MCST), kollaborazzjoni mmexxija mill-Istitut għat-Teknoloġiji Ajruspazjali u d-Dipartiment tal-Inġinerija tal-Komunikazzjoni u tal-Kompjuter fl-Università ta’ Malta, u l-imsieħba industrijali QuAero, rat l-iżvilupp ta’ apparat li permezz tiegħu jiġu adottati tekniki awtomatiċi moderni biex tiġi analizzata d-data tat-titjiriet.
Tipikament, id-data tal-ajruplani tiġi rreġistrata matul it-titjira u mbagħad tintuża offline biex tiġi analizzata l-prestazzjoni tal-ajruplan. Din ir-riċerka bl-isem ta’ SmartFDM (Smart Flight Data Monitoring) tippermetti li titqabbel id-data minn flotta kbira ta’ ajruplani, tistabbilixxi anomaliji potenzjali fid-data u tittraċċaha mal-parametri tat-titjira. Din id-data mbagħad tista’ tintuża biex ittejjeb l-analiżi ta’ wara l-monitoraġġ, iżżid l-effiċjenza tal-operat, ittejjeb is-sikurezza, u tirriżulta f’redditi kummerċjali akbar u tnaqqis fl-impatt tal-operat fuq l-ambjent.
Din ir-riċerka innovattiva wasslet għar-reġistrazzjoni ta’ applikazzjoni għal privattiva.
Il-Ministru għall-Ugwaljanza, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Owen Bonnici attenda l-avveniment li sar fiċ-Ċentru Interattiv għax-Xjenzi l-Esplora, avveniment li sar biex jippromwovi dan il-prodott innovattiv u jiċċelebra x-xogħol imwettaq u r-riżultati miksuba mir-riċerkaturi involuti. Il-Ministru Bonnici faħħar ix-xogħol siewi li sar mir-riċerkaturi u rringrazzja lill-MCST talli tappoġġja proġetti bħal dawn u tkompli dejjem issaħħaħ ir-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni f’Malta.
“Il-formazzjoni ta’ konsorzji bejn is-settur pubbliku u dak privat hija kruċjali għall-konkretizzazzjoni ta’ proġetti ta’ riċerka li jwasslu għal soluzzjonijiet innovattivi, li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar se jirriżultaw fi tkabbir ekonomiku għal pajjiżna u f’ġid għall-poplu tiegħu,” qal il-Ministru. “Meta riċerkaturi akkademiċi u esperti fil-manifattura industrijali jaqsmu bejniethom l-għarfien u l-ħiliet f’kollaborazzjoni sħiħa, tista’ sseħħ innovazzjoni reali.”
Fid-diskors tal-ftuħ tiegħu, iċ-Chairman Eżekuttiv tal-MCST Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando qal: “Il-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija qed jaħdem qatigħ sabiex jikkultiva kultura ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni f’pajjiżna u li dan qed iseħħ permezz tal-użu tal-fond nazzjonali f’dan il-qasam, FUSION. Il-konsorzju SmartFDM kien wieħed minn bosta li bbenifika minn dan il-programm ta’ finanzjament, fejn irċieva madwar €199,700. Is-suċċess tal-konsorzju kien ikkaratterizzat minn ħidma konġunta bejn il-koordinaturi tal-proġett u l-imsieħba tagħhom sabiex jindirizzaw sfidi marbuta mas-sigurtà u l-effiċjenza fl-operat tal-ajruplani. Dan hu eżempju ta’ kif ir-riċerka qed twassal għal ħolqien ta’ metodi innovattivi għall- ġid komuni”.
Dr Robert Camilleri, li mexxa din ir-riċerka, qal li din ir-riċerka għandha l-għan li twessa’ l-użu tat-tagħlim awtomatiku u l-intelliġenza artifiċjali fl-industrija tal-avjazzjoni. Din ir-riċerka wriet li dan joffri benefiċċji fil-kapaċità li jinqabdu anomaliji fl-ajruplani, jiġu investigati l-oriġini tagħhom, u b’hekk tittejjeb is-sikurezza u jittejbu l-aspetti operattivi tal-linji tal-ajru. It-tim issa jinsab fil-proċess li jipproteġi l-IP tiegħu u jiżviluppa għodda kummerċjali.
SmartFDM huwa ffinanzjat mill-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija, għal u f’isem il-Fondazzjoni għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija, permezz ta’ FUSION: il-programm tar- R&I fl-Iżvilupp tat-Teknoloġija.
This article was last updated on: October 6, 2021