Integrating Opinion Dynamics into Safety Control for Decentralized Airplane Encounter Resolution

Abstract

As the airspace becomes increasingly congested, decentralized conflict resolution methods for airplane encounters have become essential. While decentralized safety controllers can prevent dangerous midair collisions, they do not always ensure prompt conflict resolution. As a result, airplane progress may be blocked for extended periods in certain situations. To address this blocking phenomenon, this paper proposes integrating bio-inspired nonlinear opinion dynamics into the airplane safety control framework, thereby guaranteeing both safety and blocking-free resolution. In particular, opinion dynamics enable the safety controller to achieve collaborative decision-making for blocking resolution and facilitate rapid, safe coordination without relying on communication or preset rules. Extensive simulation results validate the improved flight efficiency and safety guarantees. This study provides practical insights into the design of autonomous controllers for airplanes.