Next-Gen UAM and Unmanned Aircraft Summit

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Discussion: Additive Manufacturing-Related Challenges for UAM Development
Meet with SAE ITC staff to informally discuss additive manufacturing-related challenges you see for UAM development.

Pete Doty, SAE ITC
David Alexander, Aerospace Standards, SAE International
Richard Freeman, Principal Staff Engineer at Performance Review Institute
Bill Bihlman, Aerolytics

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Networking
Make new, valuable connections by being randomly paired via audio & video with like-minded peers for 3 minutes at a time.

11:05 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Welcome Session
Matt Wasowski, SAE International

11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Advanced Light-Weight Fuel Cell Powertrains for Rotorcraft
As the industry explores light-weight fuel cell powertrains for rotorcraft, several considerations remain important. This session will explore:

1. Design Considerations for Optimizing Fuel Cell Powertrains: HTPEM vs. LTPEM

2. Performance evaluation and current development status of ZeroAvia’s HTPEM Fuel Cells for Rotorcraft

3. Certification process update

Alex Ivanenko, GM, Rotorcraft and VTOL, ZeroAvia

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Controlling Aircraft – From Humans to Autonomous Systems: The Fading Humans
This session discusses the phenomenon of aircraft operation’s “fading humans,” including the development of flight instruments to support it, its growing automation, the emerging artificial intelligence paradigm, and the lurking cyber threats that are all over the place. It also examines the “fading” process itself, including its safety aspects, current mitigation efforts, ongoing research, and the unsettled topics that still remain.

Aharon David, Co-founder and partner, AFUZION-InfoSec

eAviation – A Family of Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles

Tricia Steel, Director of Business Strategy and Industry Partnerships, Textron eAviation, looks at Textron eAviations current aircraft offering.

Tricia Steel, Director of Business Strategy and Industry Partnerships, Textron eAviation

Anomaly Detection for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Sensor Data Using a Stacked Recurrent Autoencoder Method with Dynamic Thresholding
This session examines a system incorporating a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Deep Learning Autoencoder-based method with a novel dynamic thresholding algorithm and weighted loss function for anomaly detection of a UAV dataset, in order to contribute to the ongoing efforts that leverage innovations in machine learning and data analysis within the aviation industry. The dynamic thresholding and weighted loss functions showed promising improvements to the standard static thresholding method, both in accuracy-related performance metrics and in speed of true fault detection.

Ignacio Moral Arce, Junior Data Scientist, Nottingham University

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Unmanned Safety Analysis
This session examines the safety of vertiports in increasingly densely populated areas, the future of operational safety, and the idea of creating a holistic ecosystem of safety for future UAM technologies.

Tracy Lamb, FRAeS., M.B.A., ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI, Dip Aviation Air Law. Ph.D. Candidate, ICAO SME & Instructor

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The Use of eVTOL Aircraft for Military Applications: Last-Mile Transport and Logistics
One promising application for advanced air mobility vehicles is last-mile (and middle-mile) military transport and logistics, which can complement current mission capabilities and enhance operational readiness. This session explores the challenges that need to be addressed before identified capabilities and benefits can be realized at scale.

Johnny Doo, President, International Vehicle Research, Inc.

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

The Advantages of Designing for Manufacturing
Learn how collaboration between OEM engineers and manufacturers benefit organizations across the board, from budget to efficiency to team training.

Jeffrey Mains, Director of Technical Operations, Forest City Gear

10:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Networking
Make new, valuable connections by being randomly paired via audio & video with like-minded peers for 3 minutes at a time.

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Operational Advantage and Efficiencies
We'll learn about Operational Advantage and Efficiencies through better capability delivery, using innovative ways of working and novel solutions.

Andy McIntyre MSc ChPP RPP FAPM, Future Capability Group Army/Navy Team Leader, UK Ministry of Defence

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Discussion: Additive Manufacturing-Related Challenges for UAM Development
Meet with SAE ITC staff to informally discuss additive manufacturing-related challenges you see for UAM development.

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

SAE International's AS-4 Committee
This session discusses the latest news and developments of SAE International's AS-4 Committee which focuses on military unmanned systems.

David Franks, Aerospace Standards, SAE International

How DAA Technology can enable Enhanced Visual Flight Rules (eVFR) to Enhance Safety, Efficiency, Flexibility, and Autonomy

eVFR enhances traditional VFR operations, by providing pilots with shared traffic awareness for use in conflict management, and cooperative practices to ensure safe and harmonized use of the airspace. eVFR augments VFR operations with electronic capabilities and pilot procedures to enable beneficial operations typically prohibited under VFR. For instance, eVFR could allow climb or descent through a cloud layer during VFR flight by utilizing DAA technology to ensureseparation prior to and during brief periods of limited visibility. Such procedures and the utilization of the enabling technologies are a normal progression for aviation advancements that provide more efficient operations and improved safety.

Rudy Johnson, Sagetech

Maximizing Human Learning in an Era of Human-Machine Learning
Rather than humans being replaced by technology, we propose that automation will expand the ways humans interact with technology. Furthermore, automation will reduce barriers to learning new technologies.

Steve Ellis, PhD, Learning Coordinator, AETC Detachment 62

Security Autonomy: A Cybersecurity Discussion
This session explores the need to get ahead of cybersecurity. With important and immediate needs for a robust network to keep UAM and AAM moving ahead, it is clear that cybersecurity cannot be an afterthought as the industry quickly develops. Fortunately, there’s already a track record of cybersecurity concerns in aerospace and aviation systems, from manufacturing aircraft to supporting their operations. But how do we build on this foundation to keep our aircraft and operations safe and secure?

Steve Lee, Aerospace Cybersecurity Program Manager, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Community Integration of Advanced Air Mobility
This presentation will highlight community integration activities over the last two years including the Community Integration Considerations Playbook, documenting community use cases and the Community Roles Subgroup within the U.S. DOT AAM Integrated Working Group.

Nancy Mendonca, Deputy ARMD Mission Integration Office (AMIO), NASA

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

AAM Framework for Human Rights
This session discusses the AAM Framework for Human Rights, a multi-stakeholder initiative which brings together industry players to drive consensus on the values and principles we will commit to up front to collectively advocate and mitigate foreseeable human rights violations with the UAM/AAM industry.

Dan Sloat, JD, MBA, Advanced Air Mobility Advocate, AAM Institute