Intelligent Automation has been awarded a $1.5 million contract from NASA under the SBIR Phase II Select program, to develop a comprehensive Metroplex planning system to help coordinate flights between the enroute and Metroplex domains, and manage surface traffic, using Next-Generation Air Transportation System (NEXTGEN) concepts.

Integral to this effort are also developments in IAI’s MetroSim software architecture. In order to manage the high volume of flights in the New York airspace, and simultaneously improve the arrival stream, departure stream, and surface operations, the MetroSim architecture will contain a collection of different tools that will perform analytic computations, physics-based computations, and mathematical optimization calculations, says the company.  MetroSim will also interface with existing NASA and FAA terminal and surface planning tools.

In FAA parlance, metroplex refers to a system of airports in close proximity and their shared airspace that serve one or more major cities. A metroplex has at least one, but often two or more major commercial airports.

[Image courtesy: NASA]