Although recent surveys show an increased concern about ‘rogue’ or unwell pilots following the Paris air crash, incidents such as the Germanwings disaster are shocking because of their rarity.
Although recent surveys show an increased concern about ‘rogue’ or unwell pilots following the Paris air crash, incidents such as the Germanwings disaster are shocking because of their rarity. The surveys may not have asked the question but how concerned would passengers be if they were being flown by a robot rather than a human? Modern aircraft contain a high level of automation but it can be over-ridden by pilots; the idea of an entirely robot-piloted plane may be too much for most passengers. The industry is talking about how many humans should be in the cockpit though. After the Germanwings crash many airlines reacted quickly to ensure that there were never fewer than two crew members on the flightdeck at any time, however there are already tests being conducted that replace the co-pilot altogether in favor of robots or remote control. Some experts believe that as automation, tracking and sensor technology improve these ideas will become reality. Although convincing the public that increased automation may be the right direction for commercial aviation, the military are already ahead of the game. The Seattle Times reports that the Pentagon has already implemented a system that can take control of the aircraft to avoid disaster; and it has been tested in a real situation which led to a plane and pilot being saved while on a mission in the Middle East. The next step is a robot co-pilot which will have the skills of a human pilot and could take control if required.
