Autonomous flight pioneer Merlin is teaming with cargo airline Quikjet to assess how pilot fatigue and wellness can affect their performance on the job. The results of the study could help shape future industry standards for safety while also informing the design of the Merlin Pilot autonomous flight control system, according to Merlin. 

During the study, Merlin will collect biometric data from Quikjet’s commercial pilots using a wearable fitness tracking device—specifically, a wristband manufactured by a company called Whoop. Those wearable devices measure heart rate, physical activity, sleep quality, and stress levels.

Quikjet pilots participating in the study will also take a modified version of the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), which evaluates attention and cognitive performance by measuring a person’s reaction time. Sleep researchers consider the PVT to be the gold standard tool for assessing the impact fatigue has on cognitive performance. (NASA uses a PVT to monitor astronauts’ alertness during spaceflight and has released the tool as a free app for Apple iOS.)

“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 Merlin founder and CEO Matt George. “The uniqueness of this study is that we are analyzing pilot fatigue both in and outside of flight operations, versus other studies done in simulated environments. This data provides us with a deeper, more accurate representation of pilot wellness in real-world conditions, which is pivotal to enhancing aviation safety.”

“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,” George added. In January, Merlin released a white paper about “automation’s role in the ongoing evolution of aviation safety,” in which the company outlined ways that autonomous flight technology such as Merlin Pilot could offer near-term solutions to critical safety challenges. 

While Merlin’s end goal is to enable fully autonomous flights with no pilots on board, the company will initially introduce a form of the Merlin Pilot intended as a pilot aid for reduced-crew or single-pilot operations. The Merlin Pilot system will be available for retrofit in legacy fixed-wing models, including the Cessna Grand Caravan and Beechcraft King Air. 

The Boston-based company is also working with the U.S. military to deploy its always-on autopilot system for platforms including the C-130J Super Hercules and KC-135 Stratotanker. The U.S. Air Force accepted Merlin’s airworthiness plan for the autonomous KC-135 in November. 

In addition to flight test campaigns with the U.S. military, Merlin has already conducted extensive flight tests with its Merlin Pilot-equipped Caravan in California and Alaska. Last month Merlin filed a petition for exemption with the FAA to allow it to fly two modified Caravans—both of which have experimental airworthiness certificates—over densely populated areas around Laurence G. Hanscom Field Airport (KBED) in Massachusetts.