The agency added research topics addressing lost communications and spectrum interference in October, expanding its research agenda for autonomous vehicles operating in airport environments.
Spectrum interference Under ARAS0016, the FAA wants researchers to develop methods to identify and mitigate potential spectrum interference between autonomous ground vehicles and other airport equipment.
The agency is concerned both that autonomous vehicles could affect frequencies used by airport systems and that existing airport equipment could interfere with vehicle systems.
The FAA seeks approaches to identify frequencies used by autonomous vehicles and airport communications, navigation, and surveillance infrastructure, then assess potential interference risks to both.
The research priorities may affect secure embedded computing, wireless communications, spectrum management, electromagnetic compatibility, vehicle control systems, and autonomous-system validation.