Books published by Sae Edge Research Report

Depending on the industry and application, views on additive manufacturing (AM), or "3D printing," range from something that will transform an industry to it being another overhyped technology that will only find niche applications. Most views fall somewhere in between, with the most common one being that it depends on the application and technology. Because of the ability to directly produce parts from a digital file, views often include dependence on when and where the part is needed. This introduces the crux of the matter, which is how to determine when the use of AM is feasible and desirable, which is made all the more complicated by the fact that not only is AM technology in general changing quickly, but also the merits of the each AM technology relative to the others are also changing. Finally, non-AM technologies are continually improving and are increasingly adding AM-like capability.As the opening report of a six-part series of SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports on AM, this paper discusses unsettled issues pertaining to the benefits, drawbacks, and trade-offs, as well as the decision-making processes to be followed in determining the feasibility and desirability of using AM.NOTE: SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate key issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports is to stimulate discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of identified issues. SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the challenges they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.

The "holy grail" for prognostics and health management (PHM) professionals in the aviation sector is to have integrated vehicle health management (IVHM) systems incorporated into standard aircraft maintenance policies. Such a change from current aerospace industry practices would lend credibility to this field by validating its claims of reducing repair and maintenance costs and, hence, the overall cost of ownership of the asset. Ultimately, more widespread use of advanced PHM techniques will have a positive impact on safety and, for some cases, might even allow aircraft designers to reduce the weight of components because the uncertainty associated with estimating their predicted useful life can be reduced. We will discuss how standard maintenance procedures are developed, who the various stakeholders are, and - based on this understanding - outline how new PHM systems can gain the required approval to be included in these standard practices. There have been a few limited successes in this field already, and we will discuss the lessons learned in developing these systems. Finally, we will review the progress that the structural health management (SHM) community has made, and continues to make, to change the way the industry regards automated SHM systems.NOTE: SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate key issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports is to stimulate discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of identified issues. SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the issues they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.

Across the span of the SAE International-defined Levels of Driving Automation, human drivers occupy a diverse range of responsibilities and authority on the vehicle movement and the monitoring of the outside environment. From both a technological and a regulatory perspective, there is a gap that divides lower levels of automation (L1 through L3) and higher levels of automation (L4 and L5). For those vehicles that require the cooperation between a human driver and the autonomous technology, it is important to ascertain the safety consequences of such a design choice. It is also important to understand what the transition between automated driving and manual driving entails for the human driver, as well as for the surrounding traffic. This SAE EDGE¿ Research Report investigates unsettled issues concerning what is commonly referred to as "semi-automation," including an overview of the role of human drivers, the quantification of the "transition-to-manual" problem, the role played by L3 toward full automation, and regulatory and moral considerations surrounding the deployment of these vehicles.NOTE: SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate key issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports is to stimulate discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of identified issues. SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the issues they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.

The growth in global economies has led to a world that has become much more mobile in the last few decades. The number of enplanements has increased and is expected to continue to do so at an annual average rate of 1.8% through 2039 [1]. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of aircraft in service was expected to increase annually to meet the travel demand. Next-generation, more-complex aircraft were scheduled to replace the older aircraft at a pace that still allowed sufficient capacity to meet the increasing demand. The events of 2020 have driven the industry to accelerate retirement of older aircraft while deferring the introduction of new aircraft. While the length of the industry recovery period cannot be predicted, most analysts believe that demand for travel will return once a vaccine is widely available. The impact to the design of next-generation aircraft will likely be shaped by technologies that are being accelerated for the post-COVID world as well as for new mobility platforms. Technologies, such as artificial intelligence and fault-tolerant and self-adapting control, will use integrated vehicle health management (IVHM) capabilities as part of the decision-making processes. This SAE EDGE¿ Research Report seeks to explore the unsettled issues surrounding embedding IVHM information into the active control loops of modern aircraft systems and in future generations of aircraft designs.NOTE: SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate key issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports is to stimulate discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of identified issues. SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the challenges they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an emerging technology with a large variety of commercial and military applications. In-flight icing occurs during flight in supercooled clouds or freezing precipitation and is a potential hazard to all aircraft. In-flight icing on UAVs imposes a major limitation on the operational envelope. This report describes the unsettled topics related to UAV icing. First, typical UAV applications and the general hazards of icing are described. Second, an overview of the special technical characteristics of icing on autonomous and unmanned aircraft is given. Third, the operational challenges for flight in icing conditions are discussed. Fourth, technologies for ice protection that mitigate the icing hazard are introduced. Fifth, the tools and methods required to understand UAV icing and to develop aircraft with cold-weather capabilities are presented. Finally, an assessment of the current and future regulations regarding icing on UAVs is provided.Icing is a key challenge that the UAV industry needs to address in order to unlock the full potential of this emerging technology. UAVs must be capable of safe and reliable operation in a wide range of weather conditions. This report outlines the most important challenges and gives short- and long-term recommendations on how to solve UAV icing issues.NOTE: SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate key issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports is to stimulate discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of identified issues. SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the challenges they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.

Contemporary air traffic management (ATM) challenges are both (1) acute and (2) growing at rates far outpacing established ways for absorbing technological innovation. Lack of timely response will guarantee failure to meet demands. Immediately that creates a necessity to identify means of coping and judging new technologies based on possible speed of adoption. Paralleling the challenges are developments in capability, both recent and decades old. Some steps (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) backup) are well known and, in fact, should have progressed further long ago. Others (e.g., sharing raw measurements instead of position fixes) are equally well known and, if followed by further flight tests initiated (and successful) years ago, would have produced a wealth of in-flight experience by now if development had continued. Other possibilities (e.g., automated pilot override) are much less common and are considered largely experimental.This SAE EDGE¿ Research Report is aimed at focusing industry attention on unsettled ATM issues and activities that appear most likely to offer solutions, starting with the near term and continuing on toward increasing versatility and confidence as experience accumulates. In general, the more familiar developments tend to suggest quicker acceptance of test trial initiation, while comparatively unexplored techniques call for a more gradual assimilation. Flexibility for growth is needed in any event, without the pervasive delays that have obstructed progress for so long.NOTE: SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate key issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports is to stimulate discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of identified issues. SAE EDGE¿ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the challenges they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.