Center on AI for Digital, Autonomous and Augmented Aviation

AIDA³ is a multidisciplinary consortium founded by Purdue University and Windracers, a leading cargo drone operator, with opportunities for additional partners dedicated to innovation. Together, we’re leveraging the research expertise of faculty and students from four colleges and one dedicated institute. Windracers, the developer and operator of the ULTRA unmanned aerial vehicle platform, provides extensive experience gained through parcel and humanitarian aid delivery services across the United Kingdom.

Our AIrTonomy Vision

AIDA³ is building research infrastructure for a new field of science: Safe and trustworthy AI for aerial autonomy aka AIrTonomy. We invite scientists to join us as lead users of a new research infrastructure, get involved now!

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Four people standing next to a large fixed-wing drone inside a large interior space.

News & Events

Purdue has launched the world’s first center pioneering use of AI to innovate tomorrow’s modes of autonomous aviation transportation. Windracers, a U.K.-based global cargo vehicle operator, partnered with Purdue as founding member of Center on AI for Digital, Autonomous and Augmented Aviation.

AIDA³ organized workshop series on AIrTonomy and Smart Crossways, click on the button below to learn more.

Our Mission

Harnessing the power of AI to revolutionize aviation and transportation, AIDA³ is a hub of innovation where cutting-edge research meets practical application. The multidisciplinary team is pioneering AI and machine learning models to address industry challenges — from optimizing commercial logistics to enhancing safety in autonomous transportation.

Our Research Pillars

In the pursuit of discoveries and solutions, research is organized in five pillars:

Technology enabling teams of humans to work in unison with many autonomous vehicles.
AI for onboard autonomous sensing, intelligence and control.
AI for supply chain innovation and optimization.
AI for meteorological sensing and weather hazards.
Cybersecurity for AI-enabled aviation.

Research Projects

Currently, it can take 10 people to operate one UAV. It is time for one operator to be able to coordinate 100 or more UAVs at the same time.

Sabine Brunswicker

Director, AIDA³

Testbeds and Fleet

Integrating with existing world-class facilities and envisioning new ones, the Purdue Unmanned aerial Proving Ground (PUP) has four components:

Notably the world’s largest indoor motion-capture environment for UAS research, the Purdue UAV Research and Test Facility (PURT) enables algorithm development by capturing precise ground truth data.

The Human Augmentation Center is being built for immersive, real-world remote operations and research. Tools like a gridded wall of screens and smart wearable devices will enhance interactions between operators and their managed AI systems.

Envisioned as the world’s first and largest outdoor urban motion-capture space, the 12-acre Purdue Urban Canyon Lab facility aims to enable real-time sensing with centimeter-level accuracy, critical for digital twin simulations.

The PUP Airfield, to be opened for operations spring 2025, will be a 1,200-foot long and 130-foot wide grass runway, with hangars and office onsite to operate our ULTRA vehicles for research purposes. The Airfield will be an FAA-registered UAV airport, and reported on airspace maps.

Researchers have access to AIDA³‘s fleet of two midscale fixed-wing ULTRA platforms, named Earhart and Armstrong. These vehicles have a 31-foot wingspan, a 600-mile range, and a 200-pound payload capacity. Researchers can equip these large drones with modular sensor stacks (e.g. GNSS, SAR, Cameras, LIDAR, Hyperspectral) to study remote sensing beyond visual line of sight.

Become a Partner

Participate in cutting-edge research and hone your own capabilities. AIDA³ is a multidisciplinary consortium with opportunities for additional partners to join. Partnership tiers are outlined below. Download our info sheet (PDF) for more information. Interested in becoming a partner? Contact us at aida3@purdue.edu

Partnership Tiers

Founding Members

Fee: $2.6 million/Y1 and $1 million thereafter

Benefits:

Seat at Consortium Governance Council as Founding Member
Co-Chair the Technical Steering Committee together with Director.
Tier I benefits.

Tier I: Gold

Fee: $1 million/Y1

Benefits:

Seat at the Consortium Governance Council
Right to name a member in Technical Steering Committee.
Rights to intellectual property.
Tier II benefits.

Tier II: Silver

Fee: $80,000/Y

Benefits:

On-campus recruitment and workshops.
Active engagement and partnership to seek large-scale, external funding on strategic research at national levels.
Right to name member in Technical Liaison Team.
Tier III benefits.
Funding will typically go directly to seed funding for doctoral researchers/faculty.

Tier III: Bronze

Fee: $20,000/Y

Benefits:

Member logo on website.
Ability for researchers from member organization to attend seminars.
Access to research outcomes.

Leadership

Sabine Brunswicker

Director, AIDA³
Professor, Purdue Polytechnic Institute

Sabine Brunswicker is an interdisciplinary trained scholar and thought leader in digital innovation and autonomous systems, with a particular focus on physical AI/ML and human-autonomy teaming. As a daughter of a pilot, work experience in aviation and transportation, she is enthusiastic in tackling grant challenges in aviation and airmobility using AI to save, trustworthy, and economically scalable use of autonomous UAVs and manned aircrafts. Prior to joining Purdue, she was leading a large research group at Fraunhofer-Gesellshaft, Germany’s largest research institution with a focused on user-inspired research translating lab to life. Her work has been funded by NSF, NIH, DoD, DARPA, Google, and other funding agencies.

Find Sabine Brunswicker on LinkedIn.

Core Faculty

Inseok Hwang

Professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Research expertise: Autonomous systems for UAVs, cybersecurity

James Goppert

Managing Director of Purdue’s UAS Research and Test Facility, and Aeronautics and Astronautics Lecturer Research expertise: Autonomous systems for UAVs, cybersecurity

Yung-Hsiang Lu

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Research expertise: Computer vision, efficient machine learning

Damon Lercel

Assistant Professor, Aviation and Transportation Technology Research expertise: UTM, operations, training

Affiliated Faculty