Transport is responsible for 25% of CO2 emissions in Europe and is the largest cause of urban air pollution. The European Green Deal aims for climate neutrality by 2050, necessitating smarter, safer, more competitive, and sustainable transport systems for both passengers and freight. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) can play a significant role in achieving this goal by reducing traffic congestion, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and improving transport efficiency. To maximize the potential of UAS and ensure scalability in crowded airspace, enhancing autonomy levels is essential, especially in deconfliction and dynamic capacity management. This is vital for new business models like on-demand multi-modal transport, including Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Regional Air Mobility (RAM). RAM can use existing light aircraft for local trips and traditional modes like seaplanes for flexible, fast transport. These services could improve urban mobility and intercity connections, serving short or less popular routes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) supports increased aircraft autonomy and automated decision-making in fleet and airspace management. AI will utilize onboard sensors for collision avoidance and self-separation and manage dynamic aircraft routing based on demand, reducing emissions. In fleet management, AI will optimize resource allocation, considering aircraft and ground infrastructure like vertiports and water airports. To ensure efficient aircraft lifecycle management, digitalization of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) processes is proposed, incorporating health monitoring, anomaly detection, and eco-design strategies. This minimizes aircraft downtime and maintains revenue generation. For successful implementation of UAM, small aircraft, and seaplanes, and new business models like on-demand transport and disaster response, factors like public acceptance, societal, economic, and environmental impacts, and air transport network efficiency must be considered. Investments in new or adapted infrastructure, fleet, and MRO operations may be necessary.
Di-PEGASUS addresses these needs with a user-centered approach, developing innovative aircraft and ground maintenance digital technologies. It proposes a digital platform to evaluate the viability of business models at specific locations, considering available digital technologies and key performance indicators such as cost-effectiveness, job creation, emissions savings, and investment costs. This platform will make recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders and assess regulatory compliance and safety assurance processes. The proposed platform will guide the development and exploitation of Di-PEGASUS technologies, considering regulatory approval, testing, validation, and required infrastructure. It will evaluate societal and economic impacts, helping stakeholders assess the cost, infrastructure needs, and societal, environmental, and economic effects of new services. This information is crucial for the successful adoption of innovative technologies from the early development phases.
Therefore, Di-PEGASUS overall objective is to enable fully autonomous cost-effective and environmentally friendly operations for seaplanes, VTOL and drones. This objective will be achieved by developing several enabling technologies targeting both the air and the ground side. In addition, the project aims at developing innovative business models that can exploit the abovementioned technologies and a platform which will be used by relevant stakeholders and end-users to evaluate the impact of both the technologies and the business models.
In detail, Di-Pegasus has the following objectives:
1. To develop digital technologies that enable fully autonomous cost-effective and environmentally friendly aircraft operations in low altitude airspace.
2. To develop digital technologies that enable cost-effective and environmentally friendly aircraft ground operations.
3. To develop a tool that can be used for impact and cost-benefit analysis of future innovative technologies starting from the early development phases.
4. To develop business models that, by leveraging on the innovative technologies developed by Di-Pegasus, can unlock their full potential.
