The Problem
In the case of aircraft crashes, an array of data pertaining to the mechanical and operational status of the aircraft is recorded; however, little is known about the health status of the pilot during flight. The lack of real-time pilot monitoring can make it difficult to eliminate the possibility of an undetected medical issue leading to a crash. A well-known example of this is the Maylasia Airlines Flight MH370, which veered off its planned flight path and disappeared in 2014 presuming the death of all passengers. Investigators could only guess at possible reasons for the disappearance, with a standing theory that hypoxia lead to the pilot’s odd decision-making. Unfortunately, numerous other aircraft crashes have proven to be medically-related. For additional information on other medically-related crashes, see the slideshow below.
Our Mission
Here at H.A.L.O., our team addresses the lack of in–flight pilot health data by creating a device that is minimally intrusive and can be used to correlate pilot status with aircraft events. Such a device will help crewmembers recognize health conditions that could affect the pilot’s ability to fly safely and allow the team to act before a crash occurs. The inclusion of health monitoring would also allow investigators to correlate pilot health with aircraft specific events and such information could be used to help new pilots in simulation training.
