Designing human-centric intelligent systems in aviation: applications of artificial cognitive systems, AI-enhanced investigations, and immersive eVTOL simulation training

Dimitrios Ziakkas; Debra Henneberry; Anastasios Plioutsias

doi:10.1007/s42454-025-00083-x

Designing human-centric intelligent systems in aviation: applications of artificial cognitive systems, AI-enhanced investigations, and immersive eVTOL simulation training

Dimitrios Ziakkas
, Debra Henneberry
, Anastasios Plioutsias

CEES School of Engineering

Purdue University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

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Abstract

As aviation advances toward greater automation and data integration, human-centered design, regulatory alignment, and collaborative autonomy remain critical. This paper examines the integration of human-centric intelligent systems through three domains: artificial cognitive systems (ACS) in fatigue risk management, AI-supported accident investigation, and immersive mixed-reality (MR) training for eVTOL pilots. In fatigue risk management, ACS tools leverage real-time biometric data and predictive algorithms to provide adaptive recommendations aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Doc 9966 and Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA)/European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. AI-enhanced investigation methods, incorporating models such as HFACS, STAMP-STPA, and BowTie, enable systemic risk analysis, scenario reconstruction, and early hazard detection while maintaining human oversight. In pilot training, immersive MR platforms, integrated with AI, offer adaptive, high-fidelity environments that accelerate skill acquisition for emerging AAM operations. The proposed Human–Intelligent Systems Integration (HISI) framework is conceived as a comprehensive model that places human expertise at its core, while incorporating adaptive forms of intelligence to enhance decision-making in complex environments. It is built upon the main three key pillars: alignment with regulatory expectations, operational transparency, and a culture of ongoing learning—ensuring that human judgement remains central even as intelligent systems evolve alongside. Strategic recommendations are provided for researchers, regulators, and industry stakeholders to ensure that future intelligent systems enhance, rather than replace, human capability in safety–critical aviation contexts.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	249-262
Number of pages	14
Journal	Human-Intelligent Systems Integration
Volume	7
Issue number	1
Early online date	6 Oct 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s42454-025-00083-x
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

© The Author(s) 2025
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Keywords

EVTOL
Immersive simulation
Regulatory compliance
Adaptive training
AI-driven investigations
Fatigue risk management
Human–Intelligent Systems Integration
Aviation safety
Artificial cognitive systems

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Designing human-centric intelligent systems in aviation: applications of artificial cognitive systems, AI-enhanced investigations, and immersive eVTOL simulation training. / Ziakkas, Dimitrios; Henneberry, Debra; Plioutsias, Anastasios.
In: Human-Intelligent Systems Integration, Vol. 7, No. 1, 01.12.2025, p. 249-262.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

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Designing human-centric intelligent systems in aviation: applications of artificial cognitive systems, AI-enhanced investigations, and immersive eVTOL simulation training

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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