The Aerospace Vehicle Systems Institute (AVSI) is a cooperative of companies, academia and government agencies focused on developing improved aerospace vehicles.

AVSI creates an environment for collaboration on research and development projects; investigates emerging technologies; and influences standards and policies to promote cost-effective systems development and certification.

AVSI is part of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, a member of The Texas A&M University System.

WAIC Partners

WAIC.AVSI.AEROWAIC.AVSI.AERO

Other examples of potential WAIC safety applications•Smokedetection

•Fueltank/line

•Proximity

•Temperature

•EMIincidentdetection

•Humidity/corrosiondetection

•Cabinpressure

•Emergencylighting

•Icedetection

•Landinggear(positionfeedback,braketemperature, tire pressure, wheel speed, steeringfeedback)

•Flightcontrolspositionfeedback

•Doorsensors

•Enginesensors

•FADEC-to-aircraftinterface

•Airdata

•Engineprognostics

•Flightdeckandcabincrewimagery/video

•Avionicscommunicationsbus

•Structuralhealthmonitoring/structuralsensors

•Activevibrationcontrol

Wireless communications onboard an aircraftAbout 30 percent of electrical wires onboard an aircraft are potential candidates for a wireless substitute.

Wireless avionics intra-communications (WAIC)willprovideradiocommunicationbetween components integrated or installed on an aircraft. These low-transmission-power wireless communications systems will be used for safety and regularity of flight-related applications within the same aircraft.*

*not for air-to-ground, air-to-satellite or air-to-air communications or in-flight entertainment.

Currentaircraftcommunicationssystemsinclude operational communications systems onboard the aircraft, as well as sensors for engines, landing gear and proximity to nearby objects such as vehicles and other aircraft.

But these traditional communications systems require complex electrical wiring and harness fabrication, which adds weight to the aircraft — which in turn increases fuel costs. These systems are also unreliable and difficult to reconfigure, and rely on double or even triple redundancy to mitigatetheriskofcutordefectivewiring.

Benefits of going wireless•Lessneedforcomplexelectricalwiringand

harness fabrication, which will save weight and in turn increase fuel efficiency

•Significantgaininreconfigurabilitythroughimproved installation flexibility

•Reliablemonitoringofmovingorrotatingparts—suchaslandinggear,inwhichbraketemperature and tire pressure are reported in real-time to the pilot

•Improvedreliabilityofaircraftsystemsbymitigating common mode failures with route segregationandredundantradiolinks