Onboard Intelligent Information System of the Situational Awareness of a Helicopter Crew

Abstract

During performance of a flight task (FT) by a helicopter (flight machine (FM)) the crew always has to solve the so-called tactical problems: the problem of the operative goal setting and the problems of designing of a way to achieve the operatively appointed purpose of the flight. The problem of the operative goal setting arises in a flight in case of occurrence of the direct external and intraonboard threats, which undermine performance of FT or threaten the integrity of FM. In this case the crew can demand to appoint a new current purpose of the flight, preferred to its carried out current purpose of FT. After a successful achievement of this new current purpose of the flight the crew solves the goal setting problem: a problem of return to performance of TF. Onboard computer systems were developed to help the crew solve the problem of the operative goal setting. They operatively ensure for the crew the discretion, the situational awareness, the situational confidence. The discretion of the crew is provided with the onboard algorithms of the complex processing of the information, which arrives from the onboard measuring systems. Those algorithms detect the external and intraonboard threats, which can prevent the performance of FT or threaten the integrity of FM. Those potential threats are shown to the crew on the information and control field (ICF) of the FM cabin. The situational awareness of the crew is ensured by the intelligent information system "Crew Situational Awareness" (IIS CSA). The system allocates the direct threats among the potential threats and defines for them the so-called "points of noreturn". The direct threats and their "points of noreturn" are shown to the crew on ICF. The ranging of the direct threats is used during decision making concerning an operative goal setting problem. The situational confidence of the crew is ensured with an onboard operatively advising expert system "Operative Goal Setting" (BOSES - goal setting). The system recommends to the crew the priority current purpose of the flight. In the article the structure of units of IIS CSA is described and an example is provided of the definition of a "point of noreturn" for a certain direct threat.