Merlin and Quikjet launch pilot fatigue study

Autonomous flight systems developer Merlin and cargo airline Quikjet are conducting a study to assess pilot fatigue levels whilst flying. 

The study will see the companies gather physiological data from a pool of Quikjet’s commercial pilots in-flight to track health factors such as stress levels, sleep quality, body temperature and heart rate. The purpose of the study is to assess how these factors impact pilot performance, which in turn will inform the ongoing development of Merlin’s autonomous flight system Merlin Pilot. 

“Merlin is committed to enhancing aviation safety, with a core focus of our work being to understand all facets of the pilot experience during flight operations, from crew workload to personal health impacts,” said Matt George, CEO and founder at Merlin. “The uniqueness of this study is that we are analysing pilot fatigue both in and outside of flight operations, versus other studies done in simulated environments.”

The data will be captured using devices produced by wearable technology company Whoop combined with a modified psychomotor vigilance pest (PVT), which assesses a human’s ability to sustain attention. Together, the two outputs will provide a fatigue assessment of the pilots as well as create predictive models that can forecast fatigue based on established flying schedules.

“This data provides us with a deeper, more accurate representation of pilot wellness in real-world conditions, which is pivotal to enhancing aviation safety,” added George. “The study also supports our ongoing focus on human factors-driven innovation, where we’re continuously looking at how advanced automation can be a collaborative technology for pilots.”

Merlin’s autonomous flight system is currently undergoing testing on a KC-135 in partnership with United States Air Force (USAF). The joint USAF and Merlin project is aiming to evaluate the viability of scaling Merlin’s technology to large transport aircraft.