ICT Solution: Voice Recognition and Response

Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland – LVNL) aims to emulate the tasks of pilots for the training of air traffic controllers in the Basic, Tower and AAA simulators. A voice recognition and response system can improve efficiency and effectiveness in training air traffic controllers. This will have a reduction in costs of staff, while enhancing functionalities required to achieve fidelity and flexibility in complex training scenarios. Given the demand of air traffic controllers (in a context of 120 starts and landings per hour, 2 per minute) a more efficient training process will have an impact in the provision of ATC services.

Expected outcome:

• Make it possible for (student) controllers to train anytime they want, to achieve planning and logistics flexibility.
• Provide an easy interface to start and stop an exercise and start/stop the voice recognition system, for ease of use and high responsiveness.
• Obtain a voice recognition model that understands up to 97% or more of the commands/instructions that are made, for high accuracy and interpretation.
• Implement a voice recognition system that is able to run an exercise as good as a pseudo pilot would do it, so the student controllers can reach their learning goals, which could be measured in high effectiveness and efficiency.

Key technologies:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Machine learning

Public Procurer: Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland / LVNL (Air Traffic Control The Netherlands)

Type of innovation procurement: 
Public Procurement of Innovative solutions (PPI)

Timeframe:  December 2020 – temporarily in pause due to institutional reasons – new dates TBD

Budget invested by the procurer: € 1’500,000.-

More information:

PIN Open Market Consultation:

– https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:278424-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0

– https://platform.negometrix.com/PublicBuyerProfile/PublishedTenderInformation.aspx?isPublicProfile=false&tenderId=153037&tab=&page=1&searchParam=&sortParam=Id&sortDirection=False

To the specific tender:
Assistance in the preparation of a market consultation, the procurement strategy and  tender documents.

To the general procurement of the organisation: 
Best practices for innovation procurement.

The project paused due to institutional reasons.

See video Interview with the CEO of LVNL regarding Innovation Procurement.

Also see the Toolkit Case box example –LVNL SOTA analysis Voice Recognition and Response

EAFIP Toolkit on Innovation Procurement - Module 2, pages 33-37