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Airplane On A Chip

Initiative Lead: Dr. Robert Leheny, Acting Director

The internal subsystems 'architecture' of today's aircraft is an artifact of the post WWII period that exhibits a federated approach consuming considerable volume, weight, and power. This is largely the result of store-piped, legacy avionic architectures whereby each subsystem is designed separately and often by different contractors. In fact, one can argue that the overall aircraft design is limited by the core avionics implementation. Next generation flight vehicles, including ever smaller unmanned systems, would benefit significantly from and approach which more fully exploits modern information and microsystems technologies.

The goals of this initiative are twofold: (1) to determine the feasibility of consolidating most, if not all, key avionics functions on an integrated, single chip-hosted system. The workshop will frame technology objectives for delivering an avionics package <1 cm3 in volume, consuming milliwatts of power, and reducing the cost, while maintaining the same, or superior, functionality of current systems; and (2) to explore strategies to shift the architecture of aircraft avionic systems to a highly integrated form that exploits the rapid progress in microsystems technology. Resultant strategies will leverage DARPA/MTO investments in electronic/photonics materials, electronic device and circuits, photonic integration, MEMS, integration techniques, design and optimization algorithms, and modern information technology. The workshop will involve a series of talks, panel discussions, and contributing talks between experts in Microsystems technology, avionics and aircraft capabilities.