Acceptance, Safety and Sustainability Recommendations for Efficient Deployment of UAM

Project Information

ASSURED-UAM

Grant agreement ID: 101006696

DOI

10.3030/101006696

Project closed

EC signature date 23 October 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 30 April 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 1 458 990,00

EU contribution

€ 1 458 990,00

Coordinated by

SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ-INSTYTUT LOTNICTWA
Poland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ASSURED-UAM (Acceptance, Safety and Sustainability Recommendations for Efficient Deployment of UAM)

Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2023-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Innovative solutions that more and more often emerge in the field of remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft generate visions of the large-scale presence of air mobility in densely populated urban districts. It is due to the common belief that UAM is a remedy for numerous transport-related challenges. It seems to be true however, in order to exploit it in an optimal way, it is necessary to put some effort into preparations. Preparations should cover numerous areas of different domains, which will be challenging and complex as requiring specific, dedicated structures and interfaces. UAM will need to interact with two separable and unconnected so far domains: Aviation (e.g. ATM) and city.

The ASSURED-UAM project aims to guarantee outstanding robustness in terms of the safety, sustainability, and acceptability of UAM. It will promote the best aviation practices, standards, recommendations, and organizational solutions to the administrative and legislative bodies. Authorities, policymakers and urban industry organizations will receive complete policy definition support in order to implement vertical transport with the horizontal urban space and peri-urban mobility systems. Moreover, the project will carry out the U-Space Air Traffic Management System, so that the introduction of unmanned UAM will be well integrated within the organizational and policy framework.

The social dimension of the ASSURED-UAM project is of the most priority. UAM deployment should be considered as a change which serves to increase the overall quality of life in urban areas. Therefore, social factor is interwoven in all project activities including those technology-related.

Project objectives:
The main objective of the project is to provide cities with knowledge concerning the deployment of UAM services and the definition of necessary standards and recommendations assuring common acceptance, safety, and sustainability within an integrated metropolitan transport system. In detail:
• To identify trends in key areas.
• To assure broad and comprehensive organizational and policy definition support for authorities, policymakers and urban industry organizations.
• To accommodate and propagate the best aviation practices, standards, recommendations, and organizational solutions into city administrative and legislative structures.
• To become the first and most powerful contributor for climate-neutral urban transport in 2050.
• To provide recommendations for integration of surface modes under the U-Space Air Traffic Management System.

The ASSURED-UAM project outcomes are guidelines addressing the process of efficient implementation of Urban Air Mobility. The guides and video lessons are available in 8 languages.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The overall objective of the first period of the project was associated with the definition of initial ConOps scenarios for up 10 use cases within a 5, 10 and 15-year timeframe. These activities were allocated to WP1 dedicated to development of material for the knowledge base for guidelines. It concerned the definition of specific use cases (UAM operational models), the identification of the envisaged path for the integration of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) into urban and peri-urban mobility systems and execution of all the related studies according to consideration of multiple time horizons.

Further development of the project led to the definition of opening foresight scenarios, including direct last-mile delivery using UAM, medical and other public services. The consortium formulated UAM deployment strategy scenarios, identified, and analyzed operational constraints, affecting the UAM operations, life cycle cost + Energy effectiveness (ELCC+E) covering energy consumption and detailed environmental aspects of UAM as well as financing and acceptance, completed by sensibility analysis of the public acceptability, and identification of potential funding instruments.

To strengthen these aspects, the project worked with the networks CIVITAS and POLIS and set up an Extended Advisory Board (EAB) to understand the needs, perspectives, and priorities of the ASSURED-UAM use cases for building a clear framework of technical, environmental, regulatory, social, urban planning and financial issues. The first stakeholders’ workshops were prepared and held.

ASSURED-UAM provided support and gave technical assistance for the implementation of vertical transport in three cities: Górnoslasko-Zagłebiowska Metropolia, Bari (Italy), and Porto (Portugal). In parallel, all the procedures and tools for project management were established, as well as for communication and dissemination. The guides and video lessons addressing the process of efficient implementation of Urban Air Mobility were published.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The additional dimension added to the nearly flat urban/metropolitan transport systems is expected to significantly increase the system capacity and have the potential to become a mobility revolution for passengers contributing to its improved affordability and accessibility. During the first period, the project consortium already made a crucial step towards making UAM real. There are among others the UAM detailed specifications providing decision-makers with knowledge determining efficient and effective execution of the process of UAM deployment.

Contribution to impact added by particular activities executed during the first part of the project:
• Detailed description and specification of UAM system environment and identification of main current trends. It covered technologies, regulatory framework and urban transport integration. It was concluded in the initial version of the ConOps.
• Foresight scenarios were compiled in one initial (opening) set of UAM deployment foresight scenarios reflecting conditions favorability for given UAM use case deployment. The second part of the project will be devoted to the revision of the foresight scenarios on the base of conclusions from other WPs (including consultations with the Extended Advisory Board). Such an approach will provide an opportunity for the decision-makers to conduct a total cost-benefits analysis on a higher level and evaluate/assess the total attractiveness of the defined UAM. Synthesized scenarios together with recommended actions in the affordable form will be included in guidelines (delivered in 8 languages) and video lessons available for all interested parties.
• The pocket of standards and recommendations concerning all UAM deployment components and aspects which are expected to be under city influence (in terms of location, specification, impact on environment or city planning and policy). It will cover delivery to the city’s authorities’ standards covering operational domain (infrastructural approval/certification, integration of UAM with ATM and city transport system and environmental objectives) and city domain (policy and urban planning).
• In parallel to other activities but with strong support from them, the cities involved in the ASSURED-UAM project develop their own independent UAM oriented projects. Their diversity assures that their output in the project (covering both individual conclusions as well feedback on output from WP1, WP2 and WP4) will achieve a high impact in terms of ASSURED-UAM final product applicability. Impact of ASSURED-UAM project result will be complimentary with SUMP providing it with elements necessary for including UAM in urban sustainable planning.

Project flyer