Development Of A Rule-Based Demonstration Prototype Expert System For Inflight Emergencies For The UH1H Helicopter

An expert system was developed for the UH1H helicopter to identify emergencies using a rulebased control strategy. Once the emergency is correctly identified, the expert then considers attitude and airspeed and presents the pilot with the procedure to follow. Judgements can be processed despite incomplete sensor information, utilizing the "expert" to determine the most probable failure that had occured. The engine category of failures was used for test cases. Software developed was accomplished in LISP using GEST (Generic Expert System Tool). Hardware and implementation issues, as well as automatic response and pilot interaction are also addressed. Four areas need further exploration: the need for configurable software; the susceptibility of components to EMI/EMP interference; and the potentials of parallel processing and optical computers.