Research

LATTICE is focused on identifying and addressing research problems that contribute towards a safer, more efficient, more resilient, and user-oriented air transportation system.

See below for past projects (also see Publications) and current research directions.

Data-Driven Modeling of the Air Transportation System

At its core, the air transportation system is a canonical example of a capacity-constrained, societal-scale network. The complexity of such a system hinders analysis, but also generates rich data primed for a range of models that provide actionable insights. LATTICE is interested in all facets of network behaviors during disruptions, leveraging a variety of methods to study these behaviors.

From natural disasters to power outages, these events, even geographically-localized ones, often result in widespread disruptions across the air transportation network. In order to engineer resilience and design better proactive mitigation strategies, it is important to identify, characterize, and control the effects of such disruptions. A more resilient and well-prepared mobility system directly translates to mitigated delay costs and increased service quality.

  • Graph signal outliers and applications to aviation delay analysis

  • Modeling and controlling the disruption-recovery process

  • Hierarchical control and management of disruptions in air transportation systems

  • Interplay between graphs and graph-supported signals

  • Topological properties in aviation data

Tools for the Current Capacity-Constrained and the Future Mixed-Traffic Skies

Evolving from its core of commercial aviation, the air transportation system is not only expanding in scale, but also preparing to welcome new entrants such as uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and to incorporate new paradigms such as Advance Air Mobility (AAM). This evolution has already begun, and there is a critical need to continue ensuring safety and efficiency. LATTICE seeks to build models for the congestion-prone skies of today (e.g., around major airports) and the future (e.g., low-altitude corridors for UAV operations).

  • Building models for the terminal airspace

  • UAV traffic control and ensuring robust UAV operations

  • Privacy-oriented designs in emerging aerospace mobility systems

Policy-Oriented Advancements for the Air Transportation System

The air transportation system does not operate in isolation: It is governed by procedures, policies, and regulations that may not keep pace with the rapid rate of innovation. LATTICE strives bridge this translational gap between research and policy by ensuring that engineering solutions are paired with policy-oriented recommendations.

While new models and algorithms that improve the operations of the air transportation system are important, of equal importance is the process of benchmarking efficacy and overall system performance. Furthermore, as public support for policies that fund future air transportation system innovations is key, there is a need to communicate such benchmarks, goals, and supporting data in a transparent manner to both technical and general audiences.

  • Network-centric on-time performance benchmarks and airspace planning

  • Aviation data accessibility and public engagement