The TINDAiR project aimed to demonstrate the safe integration of drone aircraft - in a context of UAM (Urban Air Mobility) - into controlled airspaces as additional users with a focus on Strategic and Tactical assistance to conflict detection and resolution. In particular, the project demonstrates technical and practical feasibility of integrating the AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based tactical deconfliction service module into the U-Space system.
The proposed TINDAiR system is composed of the Air and the Ground segments.
Four demonstration exercises, addressing different use-cases and deconfiction scenarios listed below, have been conducted from July to September 2022 in the regions of Occitanie (near Toulouse) and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (near Bordeaux) in France.
• Exercise 1: Deconfliction between two autonomous drones within the same navigation corridor.
• Exercise 2: Deconfliction between an autonomous drone and an eVTOL carrying a passenger.
• Exercise 3: Deconfliction between an autonomous drone, an eVTOL carrying a passenger and a manned helicopter.
• Exercise 4: Deconfliction action involving an emergency landing.
The TINDAiR system has been integrated on 5 unmanned and 1 manned aircraft (1 fixed-wing drone from Skyports, 3 rotary-wing drones from ONERA and Skybirdsview, 1 eVTOL prototype from Tecnalia and 1 manned helicopter). Its strategic and tactical deconfliction services were tested in relevant environment in coordination with other U-space services such as tracking, network identification, traffic information, geo-awareness or monitoring.
With the TINDAiR VLD results, we have either partially or fully validated the proper functioning of all the above services. The tactical deconfliction service was partially validated as certain deconfliction solutions were only validated in simulations. Nevertheless, the results demonstrated the capability of the TINDAiR system to detect and resolve conflicts at strategic and tactical levels.
At the same time, these exercises have highlighted some limitations of the system and recommendations for improvement that will be essential to consider for the future development:
• Augmentation of robustness and versatility of the system (heat dissipation, further electromagnetic testing for reducing RF interference with the aircraft system)
• Miniaturization of the system for achieving lower SWAP constraints
• Consideration of aircraft capabilities in deconfliction measures
• Standardization of the deconfliction procedure