Definition

Collision Avoidance Validation and Evaluation Tool

Description

The EUROCONTROL Collision Avoidance Validation and Evaluation Tool (CAVEAT) is a Windows-based tool for replaying and analysing the performance of Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems (ACAS).
CAVEAT supports TCAS II systems (versions 7.0 and 7.1), ACAS Xa and ACAS Xu. It is designed to support studies using encounter modelling (i.e. large numbers of artificial, but realistic encounters, which are rarely observed in normal operations) as well as detailed analysis of real events.

Key innovations of CAVEAT with respect to its predecessor InCAS is the capability to perform Monte Carlo simulations and the extendibility for new systems (e.g. ACAS Xr for rotorcraft). The Monte Carlo simulations of scenarios provide a wide overview of probabilities of ACAS advisories and statistical distributions of advisory times and Closest Point of Approach, rather than the result of a single simulation.

CAVEAT is intended for both retrospective and prospective analysis:

• Incident and accident investigation simulating and analysing close encounters between aircraft, including “what-if” scenarios (e.g. how the event would have developed if one aircraft were not equipped).
• Evaluation of ACAS designs using large sets of encounters for comparison of ACAS designs (e.g. ACAS Xa versus TCAS II).
• Compatibility analysis of different ACAS systems (e.g. TCAS II, ACAS Xa, user defined Sense and Avoid System (SAS)).
• Evaluation of systems related to ACAS like Auto-Pilot/Flight Director (APFD) systems.

For incident and accident analysis, CAVEAT can process radar data and provide an interface to examine the data in detail by simulating the trajectories for each aircraft as well as cockpit instruments.

Related Articles

• CAFÉ evaluator

Further Reading

• ACAS Guide - Airborne Collision Avoidance, March 2022
• Collision avoidance validation platform (EUROCONTROL website)