Advanced Air Mobility Systems MSc

Program Overview

The Advanced Air Mobility Systems MSc program at Cranfield University equips graduates with the skills to transform the aviation industry through automated and autonomous solutions. It combines theoretical and practical sessions, a group design project, and an individual research project sponsored by industry partners. Graduates are highly sought after by global enterprises and innovative start-ups in various industries, including aviation, air traffic, and aerospace.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Advanced Air Mobility Systems MSc

program equips graduates with the skills necessary to transform the aviation industry through the introduction of new automated and autonomous solutions. It focuses on improving industry standards and increasing efficiency through integration with uncrewed aerial systems.

Objectives:

• Equip graduates with the skills required for a successful career in transforming the aviation industry.
• Apply knowledge and skills to introduce new automated and autonomous solutions.
• Advance the industry through integration with uncrewed aerial systems.
• Enable a safe, orderly, and expeditious integrated airspace.

Program Description:

The Advanced Air Mobility Systems MSc is a unique and comprehensive program that combines:

• Theoretical and practical-based sessions: Covering Air Traffic Management (ATM), Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM), enabling sensor infrastructure (communications, navigation, surveillance), sensor fusion and artificial intelligence for autonomous systems.
• group design project:
• Individual Research Project: Students choose a topic relevant to the market, working with a company to gain real-world experience and apply theoretical concepts to practical problems.

Program Highlights:

• Delivered through hands-on experience accessing equipment and facilities within Cranfield's:
• Digital Aviation research and Technology Centre
• Aerospace Integration Research Centre
• Industry-led curriculum based on advice from the Industrial Advisory Board, comprising industry representatives from big primes to small- and medium-sized enterprises.
• Offers an individual research project sponsored by industry partners, allowing students to choose a commercially relevant and current topic.
• Includes a CAA approved UAV remote pilot competence course, providing basic pilot competence for the operation of small UAVs.

Outline:

Program Content:

ATM, UTM, enabling sensor infrastructure, sensor fusion, and artificial intelligence for autonomous systems.

Program Structure:

• 3 weighted components:
• Taught modules (40%)
• Group Design Project (20%) - individual dissertation for part-time students
• Individual Research Project (40%)
• Taught Modules: delivered from October to March, eight compulsory modules covering:
• Fundamentals of ATM and communication systems
• Core subjects of AI for autonomous systems and UTM
• Group Design Project: aims to provide students with experience of working on a collaborative engineering project, within an industry structured team, developing transferable skills.
• Individual Research Project: enables students to delve deeper into an area of specific interest, taking the theory from taught modules and joining it with practical experience, projects encompass various aspects of operations and industries.
• Supported by: industry seminars, group poster sessions, group discussions, group presentations, video demonstrations, case studies, laboratory experiments, coursework, and project work.

Individual Modules:

• Introduction to Advanced Air Mobility - Overview of the course, main aspects of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Autonomous Systems, Systems Engineering principles, safety, and regulatory considerations.
• Air Traffic Management Systems - Current and future ATM and ATC, functional architectures, main algorithms and applications, regulatory and technical context, ATM digitalisation, increased automation, current ATM standards and technology, future concepts described by SESAR/NextGen, development and assessment tools.
• Communications Systems - Air-to-air/ground communication systems, VHF, Satellite communications, L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System, BLOS and Satellite Data Link Connectivity, communication system design, antennas and propagation.
• Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Systems - AI algorithms suitable for real life problems: target detection, identification, recognition and tracking using multiple heterogeneous sensors, accuracy assessment and reduction.
• Guidance and Navigation for Autonomous Systems - Fundamentals and critical understanding, nature and purposes, challenges and solutions of classical and advanced guidance and navigation theories.
• Uncrewed Traffic Management - Emerging UTM ecosystem, functional architectures and concepts of operations, regulations, technical challenges and solutions, separation standards and conflict avoidance, automation, sensor infrastructure, UAM ecosystem.
• Statistical Learning Methods - Statistics for uncertainty quantification in data analysis, statistical learning, models and prediction methods, performance assessment evaluation.
• Data Analytics and Visualisation - Introduction to data analytics, challenges, solutions, predictive and descriptive data mining, unsupervised learning, information discovery, visualisation tools and performance metrics.

Assessment:

• Individual Research Project: assessed through a thesis and oral examination.
• Group Project: assessed through a written report, presentation, and demonstration.
• Taught modules: assessed through coursework, examinations, presentations, and laboratory work.

Teaching:

• Cranfield's experienced academic staff, all practitioners with industry experience and clients, continually update the program with skills relevant to the industry.
• Experienced members of the Industrial Advisory Board deliver industrial seminars and share research and development experiences.
• Program Director: Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Head of the Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems Centre.

Careers:

• Graduates are highly desirable candidates for recruitment into global enterprises and innovative start-ups.
• Example careers include:
• Autonomous systems engineer
• Design engineer
• Research Assistant in Advanced Air Mobility
• Applied Vision Control (KTP Associate)
• Companies employing graduates:
• BAE Systems
• Thales
• SAAB
• Boeing
• Heathrow Airport
• Inmarsat
• Wide range of career choices in various industries, including aviation, air traffic, air transport, security, defence, and aerospace.
• Option to continue education through PhD studies at Cranfield University or elsewhere.
• Career Service provides career coaching, CV development, interview practice, access to job opportunities and industry networking.

Other relevant details:

• Industry shortage in qualified AAM professionals, particularly for autonomy and automation.
• Cranfield aims to fill the gap with its AAM program.