AI-based flight test for Airbus showcases CoreAVI's software suite
NewsFebruary 13, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. Safety-critical software firm CoreAVI reports that Airbus completed a successful flight test of its Auto’Mate (autonomous in-flight refueling) demonstrator that uses CoreAVI’s GPU accelerated artificial intelligence (AI) software stack, including VkCore SC and ComputeCore.
During the flight test, according to the CoreAVI announcement, the Airbus Auto’Mate demonstrated air-to-air refueling operations by autonomous assets: Three personnel-directed uncrewed aerial systems (UASs -- Airbus DT-25s), with two more digital twins, were under the control of an A310 MRTT tanker using an advanced navigation suite, including AI-based detection and cooperative control technologies.
CoreAVI’s Safe AI software suite includes ComputeCore as well as VkCore SC; the company describes VkCore SC as a Vulkan SC implementation enabling low-level high-performance compute acceleration, while ComputeCore is CoreAVI’s AI/ML acceleration library providing APIs for BLAS, FFT, and a neural network inference engine implementing The Khronos Group’s NNEF format. CoreAVI says that the modular nature of its tools and libraries enable scalable performance and capabilities, making it easily expandable to meet a wide range of compute algorithms.
“This Auto’mate flight demonstration marks a major success milestone for the growing partnership between CoreAVI and Airbus for paving the future of AI-based airborne product developments and certifications. This is the first time that Airbus has ever executed an AI flight test that’s using a fully certifiable stack for autonomous air-to-air refuelling based on controlling and guiding multiple drones from the Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft,” stated Dan Joncas, Deputy CEO at CoreAVI. “The value of Safe AI to airborne platforms cannot be overstated as it enhances safety, reliability, efficiency while reducing pilot workload, training costs, and ensuring more effective operations, especially in situations with low visibility. We’re happy to work with a future-focused technology leader like Airbus to ensure the best in AI technology is available to all integrators of safety critical systems.”
