Call for projects : M.M.T
The M.MT “Man Machine teaming” project has been notified by the French Armament Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement) to Dassault Aviation and Thales at the end of 2017. These two reputable French companies Dassault Aviation (French aircraft manufacturer) and Thales (electronics engineer working in the aerospace, defence and security sectors) who then launched several calls for projects.
The DGA is an institution created in 1961 which belongs to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. This institution is divided into several branches such as – the Direction de la Construction Navale (DCN) and the Ateliers Industriels de l’Aéronautique (AIA). The DGA fully finances the MMT project that is preparing the SCAF (Air Combat System of the Future), a European project whose objective is to create a new generation of fighter aircraft.
image from gouvernement.fr
The M.M.T. project has a very specific goal, that of initiating the identification of technologies likely to be integrated into a cognitive combat air system for future fighter aircraft. The DGA hopes to be able to develop the air force sector and sophisticate its equipment so that it will be more responsive and modern by the SCAF horizon (2030-2040). The idea is to increase the capacities of traditional players by creating around them an “ecosystem” of start-ups, SMEs and laboratories specialising in the use of Artificial Intelligence and empowerment in order to facilitate the Man-Machine relationship.
By following this link https://man-machine-teaming.com/ you will find in detail the composition of the axes of the M.M.T. project among the following:
- Virtual Assistant & Smart Cockpit
- Human/Machine Interactions
- Mission management
- Intelligent Sensors
- Sensor Services
- Implementation & Suppor
Thales and Dassault Aviation already have knowledge in terms of man-machine relations and their mission was to launch a major call for projects among SMEs and start-ups with specific and technological knowledge that would bring value. 40 projects have already been launched between September 2018 and December 2019 on the different CMM themes (Virtual Assistant, Human/Machine Interaction, Mission Management, Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Services and Implementation/Support).
Ellcie Healthy's involvement in this project:
The whole team was on the warpath to bid for this innovative tender. And it is with immense pride that our start’up has been selected for the Man Machine Teaming project.
Ellcie Healthy is working on the Human-Machine Interaction branch; the advantage is that we have quite a lot of experience with our Serenity by Ellcie Healthy connected glasses on information gathering and analysis using our on-board sensors and AI. This is why we have been asked to monitor the crew and more specifically to install measurement sensors on the fighter pilot. Simply put, this consists of monitoring the pilot’s physiological and cognitive state in order to check whether he is fit to carry out the mission entrusted to him.
The project entrusted to Ellcie Healthy is called “capturing the eye”. The proposed system consists of ocular sensors and photodetectors that monitor the pilot’s eye and measure several data (PERCLOS, gaze direction, blinks). This will allow to obtain details on the physical condition of the pilot in real time and to process this information as quickly as possible. The integration of these sensors would be done directly in the viewfinder of the pilot’s helmet in front of his eyes. This would allow the maximum amount of information to be obtained about the operator without interfering with his mission.
The new system, designed in collaboration between Ellcie Healthy, Thales and Dassault Aviation, would have the main objective of improving flight safety with a better measure of the pilot’s physical condition and ultimately improve operational efficiency and pilot performance over time. We are currently working on improving this system to make it as efficient as possible. We hope to obtain laboratory validation by November 2020 for integration in the form of a mock-up.
Artificial Intelligence is therefore the flagship innovation of the Defence and Armament sector and the challenge lies in the adaptation of Man-Machine interaction within combat aircraft. Ellcie Healthy is proud to participate in this technological breakthrough that will help the French Air Force in the near future.
Sources :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9PBU4VqeKQ
https://www.bfmtv.com/economie/budget-2020-le-ministere-des-armees-beneficie-de-la-plus-forte-hausse-1775099.html
https://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/42045-saison-2-pour-le-projet-mmt
https://man-machine-teaming.com/axes-et-thematiques-l02-assistant-virtuel-et-smart-cockpit/