Standards to Help Define Role of Humans, Automated Systems in Aerospace Industry of Tomorrow

October 2, 2018

Courtney E. Howard

David Schutt, CEO of SAE International, opened the 2018 SAE Aerospace Standards Summit , focused on the theme of humans on the loop – defining the role of humans in automated systems, today at LMI in McLean, Va. “It is clear automated systems are here,” he says, noting the use of automation on the manufacturing floor, in households, and increasingly on roads and in air and space. Industry, government, and SAE International are collaborating to “define how it’s going to take place in the aerospace industry of tomorrow.”

Schutt recognizes the effect artificial intelligence ( AI ) in aviation systems will have on the entire ecosystem, particularly air traffic management/air traffic control (ATM/ATC) as “we take to the air in different ways than we are used to.”

There is a “tremendous need for standards and taxonomy,” Schutt adds. Industry and government are turning to SAE International, he says, and “we are proud to be a part of that.”

Schutt describes shared mobility, the ability to benefit from all industries developing automated solutions and technical approaches, and the opportunity to share and apply lessons learned in aerospace with the ground vehicle community and vice versa.

Courtney E. Howard is editorial director and content strategist at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group. Contact her by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. She is attending and reporting news directly from the 2019 SAE Aerospace Standards Summit and workshops, as well as the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Annual conference, this week in the Washington area.