ObjectSecurity is part of a ten-partner European consortium set up to develop the AD4 Virtual Airspace Management System. The aim of the AD4 project (see www.ad4-project.com) is to develop a virtual airspace management system that offers benefits in terms of clear and transparent visual representation with strong security and easy interoperability with other systems including internet-based ones. Thus great emphasis is attached to the use of open, standards-based interfaces.

Watch AD4 related video clips

AD4 project completed successfully - press release 18 April 07

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AD4 - New dimensions in air traffic control

The enormous growth of air traffic is a great challenge for air traffic control because controllers have to handle more flights while preserving a high level of safety. There are essentially two approaches to achieve this - the better overall optimisation of air traffic and the improvement of individual air space sectors. The maximum number of aircraft movements that can be simultaneously controlled inside a single sector is a major limitation factor. This is where the AD4 Project – the 4D Virtual Airspace Management System – comes in: Improving the efficiency of controlling sectors by better visualisation of airspace.

AD4 – A 4D Virtual Airspace Management System

Currently, air traffic controllers receive intensive training based on two-dimensional representations of planes on a Controller Working Position (CWP). The controllers than map this 2d display to a 3d representation of airspace in their mind, and calculate future separations of the planes. This is a very complex mental task that requires a lot of concentration, esp. in crowded sectors. In AD4, we are moving this complex mapping process from the controller to an improved CWP. Instead of the usual two-dimensional visuals, air traffic controllers are now supported by a complex 4D representation of airspace. This can be best imagined by thinking of three-dimensional modelling of current air traffic, e.g. the positions of planes, and adding a simple visual representation of the speed of the planes and their expected trajectories to show future separations.

AD4 Consortium

A ten-partner European consortium led by Next has been formed to develop the AD4 Virtual Airspace Management System. The AD4 Project offers benefits in terms of clear and transparent visual representation and a high level of security and interoperability with systems providing the air traffic data, to demonstrate a secure integration of heterogeneous ATC systems over organisational boundaries. Thus great emphasis is attached to the use of open, standards-based interfaces. The AD4 system consists of two key parts: the 4-D visualisation for air traffic controllers and the SecureMiddleware which takes care of the vital security and integration aspects.

 

AD4 Consortium members, left to right, front row: Dr Luigi Mazzucchelli, Project Leader, NEXT; Dr Enzo Di Giacomo, NEXT; Dr Paola Amaldi, IDC Middlesex University; Mr Claudio Mattei, MD Digital Video; Dr Gian Marco Todesco, Digital Video; Dr Bob Fields, IDC Middlesex University; Professor William Wong, IDC Middlesex University;
back row: Mr Antonnio Nuzzo, ENAV; Mr Asier Azaceta, ESI; Mr Claudio Vaccaro, SICTA; Ms Teodora Bozheva, ESI; Dr Gianfranco Corini, President NEXT; Mr Sebastiano DI Nuzzo, Vitrociset; Dr Filippo Tomasello, ENAV; Dr Jean Luc Marchand, EC and DG H.8; Dr Richard Aked, Space Applications; Mr Rudolf Schreiner, ObjectSecurity; Dr Marc Born, Fraunhofer FOKUS; Dr Robert Pleass, School of Computing Science Research Office, Middlesex University.

The AD4 System – Technical Background

In AD4, ObjectSecurity provides the overall system security and large parts of SecureMiddleware, the platform used for the development of the visualisation system and the integration of the existing ATC simulation systems providing the air traffic data, Eurocontrol’s Escape and ATRES. SecureMiddleware is jointly developed by ObjectSecurity and Fraunhofer Fokus and consists of an implementation of the CORBA Components Model with improved security support, the OpenPMF Security Policy Management Framework, the ObjectWall IIOP firewall and an MDA Tool Chain.

SecureMiddleware allows a rapid development of complex and secure distributed applications for mission critical domains. MDA enables modelling of the target system, both the functional and non-functional aspects like security, on a high level of abstraction without any need for in-depth knowledge of the SecureMiddleware. With a MDA Tool Chain, this abstract system description can be transformed into CORBA Component Models (CCM) and high assurance security polices, which are then enriched with business logic and deployed on the SecureMiddleware runtime infrastructure.

See the difference – Current representation of airspace (top),
3-dimensional geodata modeled by AD4 (bottom)

More information

ObjectSecurity's ATM Flyers and whitepapers

SecureMiddleware deployment across the internet - press release 24 April 06

also visit

www.secure-airtrafficmanagement.com