At Airspace World 2026, the RESPONSE project took center stage during the SESAR Walking Tour #12, presenting key project results and showcasing the collaborative research that has shaped the project’s core outcomes.

Tackling Aviation’s Challenges

During the presentation, RESPONSE Coordinator highlighted how the RESPONSE directly addresses commercial aviation’s most pressing issues: a global pilot shortage and the push to reduce operating costs for greener, more efficient fleets. By focusing on establishing an automated safe-return-to-land capability, RESPONSE provides a crucial stepping stone toward the safe adoption of SiPO in commercial airspace.

One Core Solution, One Technology Enabler

Our development centers on two main pillars highlighted during our presentation at the SESAR Walking Tour

Pilot Incapacitation Transition Monitoring (Technology Enabler)
Rather than waiting for total incapacitation, this system detects the gradual transition toward mental fatigue, underload, fatigue, and boredom. It combines physiological sensors, specifically fNIRS and EEG with an eye-tracking camera system, employing deep learning and a non-obtrusive cockpit display brightness method to assess changes in pilot alertness.

Safe Return to Land CONOPS (Operational Solution)
This solution defines a coordinated air-to-ground integration using the Pilot Digital Assistant (PDA) developed by Collins and the Ground Digital Assistant (GDA) by CRIDA. It formalises roles across pilots, ATCOs, and the Airline Operations Control Center (AOCC), and introduces updated Human-Autonomy Teaming (HAT) and Crew Resource Management (CRM) frameworks to handle flight deck emergencies.

Driving Industry Collaboration and Trust