Avidyne brings AI onboard for hazard scanning

PilotEye will be GA's first AI-based onboard pilot aid system, serving as an additional set of eyes in the cockpit providing visual detection of airborne hazards - including smaller flying objects like drones and birds.

Avidyne Corporation and Switzerland-based Daedalean AG, a specialist in certifiable AI software in aviation, are developing, manufacturing, and certifying advanced-technology airborne systems for general aviation, special mission, and advanced air mobility markets, to be marketed as the Avidyne PilotEye Vision System.

"Through this symbiotic partnership, we are combining the industry-leading artificial intelligence neural network software and certification methodology pioneered by Daedalean, with the proven hardware design, manufacturing and certification expertise here at Avidyne," says Avidyne President, Dan Schwinn. "Leveraging advanced AI technologies, these solutions will initially include visual-spectrum camera-based systems for visual positioning and traffic detection, hazard avoidance, and landing guidance, as well as providing the data that pilots need for quicker and more-accurate land-anywhere decision-making assistance in the event of emergency."

"Certification of safety-critical AI based systems is a paradigm shift in aviation," adds Luuk van Dijk, Daedalean's Founder and CEO. "We are excited to be partnered with Avidyne, who will certify, manufacture, and be the first provider in the aviation market of AI-based safety solutions powered by Daedalean AI software."

"Together, we will be bringing new products to market that improve the pilot's situational awareness and enable safe and successful completion of any given mission being flown, whether it's fixed-wing, rotorcraft, Advanced Air Mobility, eVTOL, or larger autonomous drones," van Dijk says.

Avidyne's PilotEye—powered by Daedalean–is General Aviation's first AI-based onboard pilot aid system, and it is the first product from the collaboration between Avidyne and Daedalean. As the name implies, PilotEye serves as an additional set of eyes in the cockpit providing visual detection of airborne hazards, including non-cooperative traffic such as aircraft not equipped with ADS-B, drones, and birds. See and avoid is a key capability for piloting and cooperative traffic equipment is not always operating or installed. Visual traffic detection thus still is the pilot's responsibility. With the airspace being increasingly crowded with aircraft and very soon with drones of all sizes, human see and avoid capabilities reach their limit. Neural network-based vision systems can continuously and accurately monitor all a broad field of view providing the pilot with a never-tired, never-distracted second set of eyes outside.

On-board, vision-based AI technologies provide pilot advisories for fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft and full autonomy for future aircraft; continuously scan the sky for traffic and other airborne hazards; identify suitable landing areas in the event of emergency; see far more than human eyes; are never distracted; provide dissimilar, redundant guidance source, enabling safe and autonomous operation; and can be combined with other data sources and merged onto a single intuitive display.

Avidyne and Daedalean will be making additional AI-based product announcements in coming months. PilotEye pricing and availability will be made public later this year.