From 1986 through 1992, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US Air Force collaborated to create a program called the Pilot's Associate. The Pilot's Associate was designed to analyze an aircraft's systems and environment resulting in real-time mission and tactical recommendations to the pilot. Technology developed for the Pilot's Associate Program is more relevant today than ever before. Pilots of unmanned vehicles are faced with making critical decisions during high-stress missions while located thousands of miles from the vehicle. Associate systems can aid unmanned vehicle pilots in making critical decisions, maintaining situational awareness and reducing task overload.
