AEM Seminar: Friday, February 20th - Prof Peng Wei, Dept of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, George Washington University

[Molly Schmitz]

University of Minnesota

Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
Spring 2026 Seminar Series

Friday, February 20, 2026

209 Akerman Hall

2:30pm-4:30pm

AEM Seminar: 

AI-powered Automated Air Traffic Control

Abstract: Both the U.S. national airspace system and the low-altitude airspaces call for innovations in automated air traffic control. For the national airspace system, the FAA's Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) needs effective automation tools for air traffic monitoring and conflict resolution to support human air traffic controllers; for the low-altitude airspaces hosting small unmanned aerial systems (sUASs) and the emerging electric vertical
take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, automated air traffic control is the only feasible way to accommodate the envisioned high-density, fast-temp flight operations. In this talk, the speaker will present the models and algorithms of using reinforcement learning (RL) and large language models (LLM) for automating air traffic control, specifically aircraft separation assurance and conflict resolution. In addition, he will also discuss the readiness and challenges of testing,
certifying and implementing these artificial intelligence (AI) tools in safety-critical aviation applications.

Bio: Peng Wei is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the George Washington University, with courtesy appointments at Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and Computer Science Department. By contributing to the intersection of control, optimization, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, he and his team develop autonomous functions and decision support tools for aviation, avionics and aerial robotic systems. His current focuses are (1) safety, efficiency, and scalability of aircraft autonomy, multi-agent autonomy and human-autonomy teaming; (2) aviation applications including air traffic management/control (ATM/C), airline operations, UAS traffic management (UTM), advanced air mobility (AAM), and aviation electrification; and (3) AI safety, security and certification for safety-critical systems. Prof. Wei is an AIAA Associate Fellow. He serves as an associate editor for AIAA Journal of Aerospace Information Systems (JAIS), AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics (JGCD), and Journal of Open Aviation Science. He received his Ph.D. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University in 2013 and bachelor degree in Control Theory from Tsinghua University in 2007. 

*Refreshments to follow in 209 Akerman Hall   

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Molly Schmitz (She/Her/Hers)

Principal Accountant, Purchasing & Payroll Specialist

Department of Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities