Prepared for Scale-Up – The Three Expertise Areas that Will Rise to the UAV Regulatory Problem

It’s a difficult time for any operator who wants to take advantage of the highest possible opportunities in the burgeoning unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market. Not only have capabilities increased to accommodate increasingly advanced use cases, but global regulations have also been enacted to ensure that drones are safely integrated into the world’s crowded airspace. The big question is simple: how to strike first to gain an advantage.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer is to use the right technology. And for me, three areas based on the latest technologies are absolutely important: Recognition and avoidance, critical communication and precise positioning for safe navigation. In this article, I will examine their importance to the evolving drone ecosystem and how innovative approaches can help meet regulatory requirements in such a way that solutions can be scaled to the use cases with the highest value. This will also be the topic of our webinar on May 18th – you can register here.

Let’s start with the opportunity. The increased interest in UAVs we’ve seen over the past few years shows no signs of slowing down. It is estimated that the European drone market alone will generate a value of 2050 by 2035 10 billion euros per year. Regarding regulations, the framework of the European Union introduced in January is followed by the regulations of the US Federal Aviation Administration, which will come into force on April 21. Both regulations aim to integrate drones into our complex airspace while at the same time maintaining the required safety levels.

The EU regulatory method is based on the principle of an assessment model based on the overall system security risk. It is used to assess the risks associated with a particular operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle system (UAS). By and large, this means that the regulation requires systematic solutions that can comply with the regulations in a holistic way. There is much to be done in an industry that has an impressive safety record, but where incidents can be catastrophic.

Unlock the value of BVLOS

The The first focus for businesses should be on compliance for small pilot projects or proof-of-concept activities. But it is really crucial that they get over that regulatory hurdles so that their solutions can be scaled. Take an exciting use case like the BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operation for monitoring the infrastructure. It will only start adding value when it can be done on a large scale with a centralization of much of the process. A future where multiple drones can be controlled from a single location and fly hundreds of kilometers beyond the line of sight is exciting – but can only be achieved by combining some of the latest technologies. This is where much of the business value in the industry will lie. If scalability is not turned into a solution from the start, it can have a significant impact on the future and reduce overall market opportunities.

Fortunately, this is an area where new technology is helping and has been the focus of much of our work Cambridge consultant. Technology is used across industries to scale solutions, especially in the face of regulations. This is true for social media companies that are turning to AI and machine learning when trying to moderate billions of posts per day. This also applies to online retailers who use robotic fulfillment technology and bespoke real-time communication Let operations scale. The use of technology to scale UAV solutions is also applicable. So let’s examine the three technologies that I believe are critical to success.

Recognizing and avoiding is a key function

While a fair amount of current regulation focuses on what are known as strategic weakenings (which are carried out at certain times of the day or within certain site boundaries), much of it relates to tactical weakenings. These deal with the remaining risk of a collision in the air once strategic measures have been taken. Detect and Avoid (DAA) is a key feature in ensuring that UAVs can operate safely in a variety of environments.

In simple terms, DAA enables aircraft to understand the operating environment and use the information to avoid obstacles, including other aircraft. The main components of DAA solutions include the sensors and algorithms that run on the computer platform. A holistic solution is likely to include inputs from a number of sensors such as cameras and radars, and possibly from external sources such as other UAVs or ground-based systems. These entrances must then be merged so that the UAV understands its surroundings well and can safely maneuver within it.

One of the key DAA challenges is the performance tradeoff between performance and cost, size, weight and performance (CSWaP) of the solution. Commercially available sensors are available that can be used for DAA. However, depending on the particular use case, the CSWaP requirements can vary considerably. In a large number of cases, a standard approach does not allow the creation of the most effective solution.

Critical communication offers robustness in the long run

Robustness is another important part of the regulations. This is where all the necessary technical information about the UAS and its supporting systems must be gathered. Reliable, high-performance wireless communication is therefore critical to effective remote operation. Some of the most important performance criteria for UAS communication systems are availability, update rate (bandwidth), and latency.

Operating long-range BVLOS missions in the highest risk categories requires high availability (possibly using multiple redundant systems), guaranteed access and low latency. Established communication technologies such as Satcoms or cellular communications are therefore a natural choice for business-critical communication, but have yet to be standardized for specific use with UAVs. This presents an opportunity for network operators and the UAS industry, in turn, is driving the development of communication skills and standards. For example, the Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity (ACJA) is a cooperation initiative between GUTMA and the GSMA and is working on “aerial profiles” for cellular networks. These build on some of the inherent properties of 5G that are required for UAS, such as reliability, low latency (URLLC), and the ability to support many devices (mMTC).

Meanwhile, private cellular networks have already been successfully deployed in industrial environments and ground-to-air aircraft systems, with improvements made where necessary to meet the real-time performance and high-speed mobility requirements of their applications. Both long-term, highly reliable service provider networks and private network deployments will be critical to future UAV operations. Operators need to understand all of the communication options so that they can select the optimal solution for their particular application.

Accurate positioning is a must for safe navigation

Accurate and reliable location of the UAVs in all situations is essential for safe navigation and compliance with the new regulations. GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) requires clear sky conditions to function accurately. Even the effects of “urban canyons” are enough to reduce urban performance. The collection and inspection of road and rail infrastructure data is an important use case for UAVs. Simply flying under a bridge deck, however, can cause problems with GNSS positioning. Additionally, there is a security threat from malicious actors who can block or, worse, fake GNSS signals to generate incorrect location information.

Alternative location solutions are available, e.g. B. inertial navigation. However, the latest UAV solutions use multiple data sources, including cellular and WiFi signals, combined with built-in AI and machine learning to safely navigate without GNSS. In this way, significant redundancy can be introduced into the systems, thereby maximizing the chance of safe and highly reliable operation.

The new regulations show the growing maturity of the UAV ecosystem. Opportunities in this area are gradually becoming feasible and offering real added value for those able to comply. The technologies described here are important prerequisites for solutions that meet the new drone regulations in such a way that solutions can be scaled. Companies looking to gain access to the growing market, to find new revenue streams or to reduce operating costs, need to consider how they are developing solutions and what role technology will play. The opportunity is there, who will seize it remains to be seen.

To learn more, please attend our webinar on May 18, “Scaling Advanced Drone Operations – Creating Business Value Through Innovation”. We’ll take a closer look at the innovation that is making drone operations a reality. You will hear from two other leading companies – Iridium, the world’s only truly global mobile satellite communications company, and Flylogix, that are transforming remote operations through unmanned aviation. It promises to be a fascinating webinar – I hope to see you there.

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