There’s often a significant gap between the hype surrounding new technologies and their actual implementation. There is a lot of exciting discussion about innovations like electric flights, vertical takeoff, and landing aircraft, but these concepts might still be 10 to 20 years away from becoming a reality.
Merlin is looking to take a more practical approach. Instead of focusing solely on these futuristic technologies, it is working on integrating autonomy into existing aircraft.
“Public and regulatory concerns are closely related, especially when it comes to safety. While regulators have a more detailed understanding of the issues, both groups share the primary concern of ensuring safety,” Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin, stated.
“The idea of fully autonomous aircraft operating without human pilots is still far from reality. In a decade, we won’t see fleets of uncrewed aircraft flying around the UK or the US.
“Our goal is to build trust and confidence in the autonomous technology by having it work in tandem with human pilots. Just as I would keep my hands close to the controls if I were flying with a new pilot until I trusted their skills, the same principle applies to autonomous systems.
“We need to demonstrate that these systems are reliable and safe before fully transitioning to them.”
Military investment
The majority of Merlin’s customers are in the military sector, as that sector has a strong interest in adopting autonomous technology to enhance mission effectiveness and reduce the risk to human personnel in dangerous situations.
The flight deck has already seen a significant reduction in crew members over the decades. Thirty or forty years ago, flights typically had a flight engineer, co-pilot, and pilot. Further back, the crew included a navigator, flight engineer, pilot, and co-pilot. Even earlier, there were additional roles like communicator and navigator. This evolution is part of a long history of technology gradually taking on more responsibilities on the flight deck.
“The history of aviation has consistently shown that new technologies are first tested and matured in the military before transitioning to the civilian sector. This pattern of evolution is a natural progression for us as well,” George outlined.
“However, it’s crucial to avoid developing separate versions for military and civilian use. Instead, we need to create a single, unified version of the Merlin pilot.
“This version should be refined in the military context and then seamlessly adapted for civilian applications.”
Authorising activities
In aviation, integrating machine learning into safety-critical environments requires meticulous care. It’s essential to approach this integration with caution, as anything less could compromise safety.
Merlin is dedicated to pursuing the first civil certification of a machine learning component, taking natural language processing systems and incorporating them into a certified package, ensuring that these machine learning elements meet regulatory standards.
“The New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (NZCAA) has been an exceptional partner for us. Alongside Boeing and other industry players, we’ve been working closely with the NZCAA, which serves as an effective intermediary between US and European regulatory frameworks. Their approach is progressive yet rigorous, ensuring both safety and efficiency,” George declared.
“Going through this formal civil certification process is essential. It demonstrates our commitment to rigorous standards and ensures that the system meets all safety and regulatory requirements throughout its development.”
