AERONETAVIATION / NETWORKS / RESEARCH

NSF VINES   /   TRACK 2   /   2026–2029

AERONET

AI-Enabled Orchestration of Heterogeneous Networks for Aviation Safety

AERONET is an AI-enabled orchestration platform integrating Wi-Fi, private 5G, multi-orbit satellite networks, and legacy aviation communications to provide a unified aviation connectivity fabric.

Goal: Enhanced aviation connectivity for safety-critical operations and air transportation systems.

Project period
September 2026 – August 2029
Collaboration
HPE Labs
Carnegie Mellon University
Northeastern University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Riverside
Support
National Science Foundation
VINES Program, Track 2

Project goals

Aircraft and airports have access to many kinds of connectivity, but those networks often operate independently. AERONET aims to make them work together, with aviation safety and operational context at the center.

  • Improve digital coordination. Support reliable pilot–controller exchanges and reduce miscommunication.
  • Strengthen situational awareness. Enable timely exchange of weather, traffic, airport, and flight data.
  • Keep critical traffic connected. Adapt to changing coverage, link failures, and interference across air and ground operations.

Research

The project connects four research directions through a shared Semantic Orchestration Layer: software that turns aviation context into network policies.

Semantic orchestration

Interpret aviation messages, identify urgency and flight phase, and translate that intent into coordinated network decisions.

Resilient multipath transport

Use multiple connections together, adapting traffic and redundancy as the quality of individual links changes.

Satellite integration

Model changing satellite conditions and select suitable paths beyond the reach of airport networks.

Programmable RF environments

Investigate reconfigurable surfaces that redirect radio signals, extend coverage, and help manage interference.

People

Five institutions bring together expertise in networking, wireless systems, and aviation operations. Select a name to visit a personal or institutional profile.

HPE Labs Lead institution
Puneet SharmaLead PI
Shivang Aggarwal
Mohamed Ibrahim
Anurag Pallaprolu
Carnegie Mellon University
Swarun KumarCo-PI
Northeastern University
Dimitrios KoutsonikolasCo-PI
Eduardo Baena
University of California, Berkeley
Jasenka RakasCo-PI
University of California, Riverside
K. K. RamakrishnanCo-PI

Contact

For project inquiries, contact lead investigator Puneet Sharma.

puneet.sharma@hpe.com

Supported by the National Science Foundation

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through the NSF 25-539 VINES Program (Track 2): Verticals-enabling Intelligent Network Systems.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.