Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
The European Defence Fund (EDF) is the Commission’s initiative to support collaborative defence research and development, and to foster an innovative and competitive defence industrial base.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
From the point of view of the human-machine relationship, the new generation of military aircraft involved in this collaborative air combat is likely to require a new generation of human-machine relationship that allows ergonomic cooperation between the crew and the machine, effective and safe flight, as well as cooperation with other assets, including unmanned ones. The new technologies would make it possible to gain a tactical advantage by assisting the crew as a real teammate, responding to requests, suggesting tactics and procedures, and adapting interfaces to the pilots’ and/or operators’ status and needs.
Taking into account the new paradigm of human-machine teaming in future collaborative and connected air warfare, this call topic aims to address the following areas:
- New or disruptive Human-Machine Interface (HMI) technologies, such as displays, wearables, vocal dialogue, augmented reality, stereoscopy.
- Pilot status monitoring in relation to the mission and systems status.
- Assisted decision-making support based on advanced techniques like Artificial Intelligence (AI) not excluding other approaches.
Detailed Call Description
The definition of a novel design and interaction principles for managing automated and autonomous aircraft cooperating with System-of-Systems (SoS) teammates, including adaptive interfaces can be defined as Human-Machine Teaming (HMT).
With a view to contributing to the development of new generations of air combat and training aircraft and systems in the EU, including existing manned and unmanned air platforms, or to upgrading those currently in service, the proposals must:
- Mature the required cutting-edge technological and engineering solutions for future enhanced pilot environments, including cockpits, through evaluation and demonstration in representative operational scenarios.
- Produce common high-level “platform agnostic” specifications and guidelines for HMI design for future cockpit equipment.
- Specify and perform, where applicable, prototyping activities for cockpit equipment incorporating these maturated solutions.
Proposals must therefore address the following four areas:
- Adaptive human system collaboration to improve tactical situational awareness and enable ergonomic crew-machine cooperation for safe flight and high performance in cooperation with both manned and unmanned assets. Adaptive collaborative HMIs are required with a view to enhanced human-machine/human-human/machine-machine teaming for operations in a distributed environment with multi-platform assets. Novel design and interaction principles are also required for the management of automated/autonomous aircraft functions and collaboration with SoS teammates, including adaptive interfaces.
- Visualisation: both visualisation products and advanced pilot information presentation capabilities, including 3D presentation, and other novel presentations, through for instance but not limited to:
- Augmented reality, large area displays (free form, multi touch, auto-stereoscopy), 3D holography and implementation concept.
- Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) solutions which are crucial for the next generation cockpit.
- Crew monitoring system (CMS) to monitor in real time the physiological and cognitive states of the crew, through systems and techniques, enabling the adaptation of the HMI in a way to support and assist the aircrew in performing the flight and mission control in demanding operational environments.
- Interaction modalities to address both the modalities of interaction as well as their combination through innovative HMI technologies, such as but not limited to wearable, optics, haptics, vocal command, and virtual operator assistant.
Call Total Budget
Thematic Categories
- Industry
- Justice - Security
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, all applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must cumulatively:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries:
- listed EEA countries (‘EDF associated countries’; list of participating countries)
- have their executive management structure established in eligible countries
- not be subject to control by a non-associated third country or non-associated third-country entity (unless they can provide guarantees – see Annex 2 –approved by the Member State or EDF associated country where they are established).
Consortium composition – For all topics under this call, proposals must be submitted by: minimum 3 independent applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities) from 3 different eligible countries.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Ministry of Defense
Address: 172-174 Strovolos Avenue, 2048 Strovolos, Nicosia
Telephone: 22 807500
Email: defence@mod.gov.cy
Website: https://mod.gov.cy/
Department of Research and Innovation
Telephones: 22 807755, 22 807754
Email: research.innovation@mod.gov.cy
EU Contact Point
For help related to this call, please contact: DEFIS-EDF-PROPOSALS@ec.europa.eu