Project Bluebird

Project Bluebird

New technology is transforming the skies above us, and airspace worldwide is facing increasing demand from more flights and an increasing variety of aircraft. NATS wants to investigate the AI solutions available to keep air traffic control systems ready for this extra demand.

What is Project Bluebird?

Funded through a partnership between UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) and NATS, Project Bluebird is striving to develop competent ‘AI agents’ which have learnt about real-world air traffic scenarios. It is about understanding what these AI agents could do to help ensure air traffic controllers have the data and AI-driven technology to help them manage the extra demands on our airspace.

Through the project, more than 40 experts from NATS, The Alan Turing Institute, and the University of Exeter are developing and applying in-depth AI research to these real-world scenarios and the decisions air traffic controllers make every day. It is unique and is breaking new ground in AI science. Through Bluebird, we are learning what could be possible.

How does Project Bluebird work?

The partnership between NATS, The Alan Turing Institute, and the University of Exeter has brought together leading AI experts and developers and asked them to apply their knowledge to air traffic control management. These include experts in maths, computer science, engineering, data science, social science, air traffic control, safety transformation, system engineering, domain experts, project management and more.

Project Bluebird is using digital twinning and machine learning techniques to map, shadow and create a range of air traffic scenarios based on our historic data, as well as provide realistic probabilistic simulations of historic or synthetic scenarios.

A Project Bluebird demonstration at a recent event

Our AI agents are learning about these scenarios so in the future they can help and potentially advise air traffic controllers in real-world situations, giving them the data and information to make the best decisions. All the while, Bluebird uses tools and methods to promote the safe and trustworthy use of AI.

We are building a framework for AI trustworthiness and enabling readiness for the use of AI in ATC.  We are leading the discussion, development, and deployment of trustworthy AI in safety-critical applications. Designing new methods to quantify real-world uncertainties, we create tools that promote successful human-machine teaming.