In the control tower simulation facility, an Air Traffic Control Systems staff member uses integrated electronic flight data and surveillance systems to direct an aircraft to taxi toward the runway.

Air Traffic Control and Weather Systems

The Air Traffic Control and Weather Systems Group’s mission is to develop and deploy advanced weather sensing, forecasting, and decision support technologies with a focus on enabling safe, efficient, and cyber-secure air transportation. These technologies are designed to address the needs of a range of key users, including air traffic controllers, pilots, airlines, regulators, and other decision makers. To ensure user acceptance and maximize the operational impact of our technologies, we rely on extensive analysis and field evaluations, drawing upon diverse areas of expertise within the group, including aviation operations, meteorology, cybersecurity, multimodal sensing, software engineering, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and human factors. The technologies we have developed are currently operating across North America to minimize weather-related delays to the flying public. We are also actively working in emerging aviation and weather decision support need areas, such as enabling globally harmonized air traffic control systems, assessing cyber vulnerabilities of aircraft and ground-based systems, and developing technologies to enable the safe integration of advanced air mobility and commercial space operations into the air transportation system.

Featured Projects

Two photos are shown of the same landscape. The left hand photo shows a clear day, with a mountain in the distance. The right hand side shows a foggy view, with the mountain obscured.
air traffic control
An algorithm uses camera imagery to estimate visibility for pilots flying in remote areas that lack weather sensors.
a screenshot of a user interface shows a world map with radar-like depictions of rain bands, colored blue, green, and yellow.
aviation weather
By compiling lightning data, satellite imagery, and numerical weather models, the GSWR provides radar-like analyses and forecasts over regions not observed by actual weather radars.
A graphic showing radar-like storm coverage over a Google map image of land, and red/yellow/green zones of predicated tornado path..
Adaptation
 We are developing deep learning  models  to analyze tornadic precursors in order to enhance real-time tornado prediction.   
A large KC-135R tanker aircraft refuels an F-15 Eagle aircraft while they in mid air.
artificial intelligence
Our model optimizes the scheduling of aerial refueling missions, saving fuel and costs for the Department of Defense.
The LASSOS display screen highlights the laser strike event in live sensor imagery on the left and generates a 3D model of the laser streak in Google Earth, right.
optical systems
A system that detects laser beams being shone into the sky and alerts police of their source can help protect pilots and aircraft.

Advancing Our Research

Events

Apr 29 -
May 1
MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Massachusetts

Featured Publications

ECP 0857P final report for the NEXRAD ROC: Modified VCP 35

Sep 18
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-456

WSR-88D microburst detection performance evaluation

Nov 28
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-455