Next-generation Open-Source Tools for ATM performance Modelling and Optimisation

THE GOAL OF NOSTROMO PROJECT

In recent years, the question of how to assess the performance impact of new solutions at a system-wide level in terms of air traffic management (ATM) has arisen. The EU-funded NOSTROMO project aims to develop new approaches to ATM performance modelling, combining model transparency, computational tractability and ease of use. First, the project will develop a methodology to build ATM performance metamodels. Second, this metamodelling methodology will be developed thanks to open source metamodels based on microsimulation tools able to reproduce ATM performance at the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) level. Third, it will develop a set of visualisation and visual analytics tools. The project’s results will be evaluated with the aim of promoting its further implementation.

NOSTROMO project will be developed in an incremental approach towards the objectives, by evaluating and refining the proposed methodology in an iterative manner in the light of the results obtained in its specific applications.

This project has received funding from the SESAR Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 reasearch and innovation programme (https://www.sesarju.eu).

Objectives of the project

Develop a methodology

for the construction of ATM performance metamodels that approximate the behaviour of computationally expensive simulation models so as to allow a systematic and efficient exploration of the model input-output space and a robust handling of the uncertainty associated with the model predictions, by exploiting recent advances in the field of active learning.

Develop a set of visualisation

and visual analytics tools that facilitate the analysis, interpretation and communication of the results of the new performance metamodels.

Implement and validate

the proposed metamodelling methodology by developing metamodels of different state-of-the-art microsimulation tools able to reproduce ATM performance at ECAC level.

Demonstrate and evaluate

the maturity of the NOSTROMO approach and the capabilities of the newly developed toolset through a set of case studies addressing the performance assessment of SESAR Solutions at ECAC level to allow a comprehensive benchmarking against the performance modelling methodologies currently in use.

Consortium

To achieve the objectives of the project, our consortium has been built around the integration of knowledge from a range of multiple and complementary disciplines. The composition of the NOSTROMO consortium provides the skills required for the succesful completion of the project activities and for maximising the impact and the exploitation of the project results.

Centro de Referencia de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en ATM, A.I.E

CRIDA (Centro de Referencia de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación ATM, A.I.E.) is a not-for-profit Research Entity established by ENAIRE (the Spanish ATM and Airport Services provider), the Technical University of Madrid "Universidad Politécnica de Madrid – UPM” and INECO. CRIDA was created on the 27th of February of 2008. CRIDA‘s mission is to improve the efficiency and performance of the Spanish Air Traffic Management (ATM) system through the development of ideas and projects that provide quantifiable solutions based on system performance indicators, considering the Spanish system as an integral part of a global networked system

Danmarks Tekniske Universitet

Technical University of Denmark (DTU - dtu.dk) is a Danish university recognised internationally as a leading university in the areas of the technical and natural sciences, renowned for business-oriented approach, or focus on sustainability and our study environment. The NOSTROMO project will be carried out by the Machine Learning for Smart Mobility group (MLSM, http://mlsm.man.dtu.dk), Division of Transport under the Department of Technology, Management and Economics. The Division of Transport consists of researchers with academic backgrounds in mathematical modelling, computer science, economics, psychology, engineering and other specializations.

Nommon Solutions and Technologies

Nommon is a research-intensive technology company based in Madrid, Spain, specialised in the provision of information, quantitative analysis and decision support tools for the planning and management of transport and traffic systems. To this end, expertise is drawn from disciplines such as computer science, spatial analysis, data science, complexity theory, operations research, and transport and traffic engineering. Nommon's research agenda encompasses three main threads: (i) big data processing and spatio-temporal data analysis; (ii) complex systems modelling and data-driven simulation; and (iii) information visualisation and visual analytics.

ISA Software

ISA Software is a private company created in April 1998 and entered in the French registry of commerce in Paris. The company headquarters are registered in Manchester in the UK. ISA Software France provides the home for the ATM research, software design and development and ATM/Airport concept validation teams and has a long history of successfully completing large-scale ATM validation and concept research projects for many of the leading European and US Air Navigation Service Providers. The site also provides support for ATM/ATC and Airport validation for client in Asia, Africa and South America, many of which use the ISA RAMS Plus ATC and Airport simulation tool.

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), or Technical University of Catalonia - BarcelonaTech, was founded in 1971 with the union of several engineering schools. Today it is composed of more than 30,000 students, 42 departments and 1,782 full time faculty members. The UPC is a university with a consolidated worldwide reputation and an international vision that generates technological innovation and attracts talent. It is also the Spanish university with more strategic research projects funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program.

University of Westminster

The University of Westminster has been engaged in transport research, consultancy, and teaching for over 40 years. The broad social and behavioural research of the University allows us to examine transport issues in a holistic and integrated context, with a substantial focus on door-to-door passenger mobility and choice paradigms. For two decades, ATM research has been a core part of the research. More broadly, air transport research encompasses both airlines and airports at the level of route planning, demand forecasting, economics of operation, and competitive analysis.

News, Events & Publications

To share our progress we continuously publish news, events, project reports and scientific work.

April 20, 2022

NOSTRMO Maturity Gate

The 23rd of November NOSTROMO Project will hold its Maturity Gate and Closure Meeting.

The event will take place at Brussels. It will be hybrid, including also the possibility of a virtual connection for those who cannot attend physically.

In this session, the consortium will present to SESAR JU the results obtained from the work performed during the project lyfetime.

April 20, 2022

1st NOSTROMO Workshop

The 20th of April NOSTROMO Project will hold its first workshop.

The event will take place at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby Campus in Copenhagen. It will be hybrid, including also the possibility of a virtual connection for those who cannot attend physically.

In this workshop, the NOSTROMO consortium will present the architecture of the test cases, the methodology proposed, the preliminary proposal of the Interactive Dashboard, and the results from the trial tests carried out in the second iteration. It will count with the presence of SESAR JU, PJ19.04 and the Advisory Board, that will give their feedback of the results of the project so far.

January 10, 2022

Active Learning for Air Traffic Management Simulation Metamodeling

The 10th of January Christoffer Riis and Francisco Antunes presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting TRB2022, in Washington , D.C., USA, "Active Learning for Air Traffic Management Simulation Metamodeling".

The poster was created in the scope of NOSTROMO Project with the colaboration of Gérald Gurtner, Francisco Cámara, Luis Delgado and Carlos Lima

September 3, 2021

AI, ML and Automation Workshop

Last Friday the Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Automation Workshop took place in a virtual session.

Thank you to all the participants presenting projects Pilot3, ARTIMATION , MAHALO, NOSTROMO, AISA , TAPAS;

To the experts CRIDA A.I.E., Center for Human Performance Research, CHPR, ONERA - The French Aerospace Lab, EUROCONTROL, SESAR Joint Undertaking, Technische Universiteit Delft, IBS Software for their contribution,

And thank you to Engage KTN for holding this fruitful session, in which the current and future ATM work directions in terms of Machine Learning research were discussed.

September 3, 2021

ENGAGE WORKSHOP

The 3rd of September NOSTROMO team will take part in the Engage thematic workshop: Machine learning, AI and automation in ATM

Due to the pandemic situation, this will be a virtual event

June 18, 2021

INTERMEDIATE REVIEW MEETING

The 18th of June NOSTROMO Intermediate Review Meeting was organized. In a fruitful session, SESAR JU reviewed with NOSTROMO members the progress made in the project.

Thank you to SESAR JU experts for their feedback, and to the consortium members for the work done so far!

April 30, 2021

FIRST ITERATION FINISHED

The 30th of April the First Preliminary Iteration was finished, concluding with the following achievements:

Initial requirements of metamodels developed

Preliminary selection of case studies performed

Test cases with both simulators carried out

Data repository deployed

Preliminary architecture defined

High level visualizations requirements identified

February 18, 2021

DELIVERABLES APPROVAL

The 18th of February of 2021 SESAR JU approved the following deliverables:

D1.1: Project Management Plan

D2.1: Data Management Plan

D3.2: Metamodels Requirements Specification

D4.1: Preliminary Specification of Case Studies

D8.1: Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication Plan

January 13, 2021

DELIVERABLE 9.1 APPROVAL

The 13th of January Deliverable 9.1: "H-Requirement No. 1" was approved by SESAR JU

December 4, 2020

NOSTROMO WEBSITE

The 4th of December of 2020 NOSTROMO Website was launched

November 20, 2020

DELIVERABLE 3.1 APPROVAL

The 20th of November of 2020 Deliverable 3.1: "Preliminary Metamodelling Methodology" was approved by SESAR JU

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