Periodic Reporting for period 2 - USIS (U-Space Initial Services)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2019-02-01 do 2019-11-30
U-Space Initial Services project aimed to demonstrate the technical and operational feasibility of providing in a very short time frame U-Space services to UAV/RPAS operators and to authorities/airspace managers.
The project operationally demonstrated the following U-space services:
• E-identification
• Tracking
• Flight Planning Management
• Monitoring
• Drone AIM
• Flight Plan preparation/optimization assistance
• Collaborative interfaces with ATC
The trials took place in France and Hungary. The Hungarian trials were based on specific and complex flights (BVLOS, etc.) while the French trials relied on day to day drones operations (in all environments). It assessed the benefits of U-space services to support complex operations but also the deployment and benefits of U-space services in an existing environment for actual operations.
The project combined the expertise of key stakeholders of the future U-Space (Civilian Aviation Authorities/Air National Service Provider, UAV/RPAS Operators, Industries and Law enforcement authorities) in order to insure that the services demonstrated fit for purpose to their requirements, constraints and needs. By bringing 4 Nations together, the consortium put a particular focus on demonstrating services that can be deployed at a EU level.
The demonstration proved that U-Space services can be deployed in short time frame enabling safe, secure and efficient UAV/RPAS flight while contributing to their societal acceptance.
The project operationally demonstrated the following U-space services:
• E-identification
• Tracking
• Flight Planning Management
• Monitoring
• Drone AIM
• Flight Plan preparation/optimization assistance
• Collaborative interfaces with ATC
The trials took place in France and Hungary. The Hungarian trials were based on specific and complex flights (BVLOS, etc.) while the French trials relied on day to day drones operations (in all environments). It assessed the benefits of U-space services to support complex operations but also the deployment and benefits of U-space services in an existing environment for actual operations.
The project combined the expertise of key stakeholders of the future U-Space (Civilian Aviation Authorities/Air National Service Provider, UAV/RPAS Operators, Industries and Law enforcement authorities) in order to insure that the services demonstrated fit for purpose to their requirements, constraints and needs. By bringing 4 Nations together, the consortium put a particular focus on demonstrating services that can be deployed at a EU level.
The demonstration proved that U-Space services can be deployed in short time frame enabling safe, secure and efficient UAV/RPAS flight while contributing to their societal acceptance.
Work Package 1 – Project Management
The work carried by this WP has been to structure the project, carry the KoM/Mid-Term review meeting with the SESAR JU and set up the internal organization amongst the beneficiaries (internal coordination meeting, etc.).
The KoM/Mid-Term review has been conducted in SESAR JU offices on the 5th of February 2019.
A monthly internal coordination meeting has been conducted by webex.
The project closure meeting has been conducted with SESAR JU on the 5th of November 2019.
Work Package 2 – Use Cases, Test Plan, Results
The work carried by this WP has been to write the Study Plan describing the organization of the live trials and the Study Report describing the results of the trial..
The Study Plan has been delivered to SESAR JU on the 26th of April 2019.
The Study Report has been delivered to SESAR JU on the 29th of November 2019.
The main results are the following:
• The following services have been considered ready for deployment: U1 e-identification, U2 Tracking, Flight planning management, Monitoring, Drone AIM
• For the e-identification / tracking, the measured average reception time of drones position through 4G network was 2 seconds
• The technical feasibility of a Cloud architecture to deliver U-space services has been demonstrated, with an architecture flexible enough to allow various types of deployment models and scalibility of services
• Safety has been increased on ATC side thanks to a better situational awareness
• Human performance has been increased for all actors thanks to automated tools and collaborative workflow
• Recommendations have been made about the concept clarification, standardisation and regulation and requirements
Work Package 3 – Services Provision
The UTM platform has been deployed in Hungary Test Bed and in France Test Bed. Access to the U-space services has been granted to users (Drone operators, CTR Supervisor, Tower ATCO, Local authorities):
• Drone AIM
• Flight plan preparation
• Flight planning management
• Procedural interfaces with ATC
• E-identification
• Tracking
• Monitoring
Both test beds have been configured with the applicable (French and Hungarian) regulation and required data (AIXM 4.5 National borders, Regional borders, airport impacting zones, etc.)
Thales opened its web portal for developers. This portal gives access to U-space services public API made available by Thales. This portal has been used by Unifly for interfacing its UAS operators application to Thales U-space services, and by ENAC to interface their simulator and send simulated drone operations to Thales U-space services.
Trackers have been produced and provided to drone operators, who installed them on their drones. The trackers allowed to securely identify and localize the drones in real time through the mobile network.
Work Package 4 – France Test Bed
The work carried out by this WP has been to conduct the France trial, by coordinating the activities of the different users involved (drone operators, air traffic controllers, local authorities) and gathering their feedback.
Work Package 5 – Hungary Test Bed
The work carried out by this WP has been to conduct the Hungary trial, by defining the flight scenarios and coordinating the activities of the different users involved (drone operators, air traffic controllers) and gathering their feedback.
Work Package 6 – Communication and Dissemination
Several actions of communication and dissemination related to U-space services have been conducted during the project, including:
• SESAR Forum (Thales/DSNA, at the invitation of DSNA/DGAC) – France – February 2019
• World ATM Congress (Thales, HungaroControl) – Spain – March 2019
• SESAR JU Qatar workshop (Thales replacing DSNA, at the invitation of SESAR JU) – Qatar – March 2019
• EASA CAAC APP (Thales, at the invitation of EASA) – China – May 2019
• Paris Air Show (Thales) – France – June 2019
• Forum du Conseil des Drones Civils (DSNA) – France – July 2019
• USIS Open Day (HungaroControl) – Hungary – October 2019
• Digital Transformation Day (Thales, at the invitation of AZANS) – Azerbaijan – October 2019
The work carried by this WP has been to structure the project, carry the KoM/Mid-Term review meeting with the SESAR JU and set up the internal organization amongst the beneficiaries (internal coordination meeting, etc.).
The KoM/Mid-Term review has been conducted in SESAR JU offices on the 5th of February 2019.
A monthly internal coordination meeting has been conducted by webex.
The project closure meeting has been conducted with SESAR JU on the 5th of November 2019.
Work Package 2 – Use Cases, Test Plan, Results
The work carried by this WP has been to write the Study Plan describing the organization of the live trials and the Study Report describing the results of the trial..
The Study Plan has been delivered to SESAR JU on the 26th of April 2019.
The Study Report has been delivered to SESAR JU on the 29th of November 2019.
The main results are the following:
• The following services have been considered ready for deployment: U1 e-identification, U2 Tracking, Flight planning management, Monitoring, Drone AIM
• For the e-identification / tracking, the measured average reception time of drones position through 4G network was 2 seconds
• The technical feasibility of a Cloud architecture to deliver U-space services has been demonstrated, with an architecture flexible enough to allow various types of deployment models and scalibility of services
• Safety has been increased on ATC side thanks to a better situational awareness
• Human performance has been increased for all actors thanks to automated tools and collaborative workflow
• Recommendations have been made about the concept clarification, standardisation and regulation and requirements
Work Package 3 – Services Provision
The UTM platform has been deployed in Hungary Test Bed and in France Test Bed. Access to the U-space services has been granted to users (Drone operators, CTR Supervisor, Tower ATCO, Local authorities):
• Drone AIM
• Flight plan preparation
• Flight planning management
• Procedural interfaces with ATC
• E-identification
• Tracking
• Monitoring
Both test beds have been configured with the applicable (French and Hungarian) regulation and required data (AIXM 4.5 National borders, Regional borders, airport impacting zones, etc.)
Thales opened its web portal for developers. This portal gives access to U-space services public API made available by Thales. This portal has been used by Unifly for interfacing its UAS operators application to Thales U-space services, and by ENAC to interface their simulator and send simulated drone operations to Thales U-space services.
Trackers have been produced and provided to drone operators, who installed them on their drones. The trackers allowed to securely identify and localize the drones in real time through the mobile network.
Work Package 4 – France Test Bed
The work carried out by this WP has been to conduct the France trial, by coordinating the activities of the different users involved (drone operators, air traffic controllers, local authorities) and gathering their feedback.
Work Package 5 – Hungary Test Bed
The work carried out by this WP has been to conduct the Hungary trial, by defining the flight scenarios and coordinating the activities of the different users involved (drone operators, air traffic controllers) and gathering their feedback.
Work Package 6 – Communication and Dissemination
Several actions of communication and dissemination related to U-space services have been conducted during the project, including:
• SESAR Forum (Thales/DSNA, at the invitation of DSNA/DGAC) – France – February 2019
• World ATM Congress (Thales, HungaroControl) – Spain – March 2019
• SESAR JU Qatar workshop (Thales replacing DSNA, at the invitation of SESAR JU) – Qatar – March 2019
• EASA CAAC APP (Thales, at the invitation of EASA) – China – May 2019
• Paris Air Show (Thales) – France – June 2019
• Forum du Conseil des Drones Civils (DSNA) – France – July 2019
• USIS Open Day (HungaroControl) – Hungary – October 2019
• Digital Transformation Day (Thales, at the invitation of AZANS) – Azerbaijan – October 2019
Via the deployment of U-space services on the French and Hungary test beds, the project has been able to demonstrate that the services can:
• Accomodate existing regulations
• Manage complex regulation as well as cope to existing administrative structure of a country
• Drastically reduce the time of flight request assessment and approval (from days to minutes)
As such, the results demonstrate that U-space services can reach a sufficient level of flexibility to be deployed in an existing environment with legacy conditions as well as facilitating the access to the airspace for drone operators.
• Accomodate existing regulations
• Manage complex regulation as well as cope to existing administrative structure of a country
• Drastically reduce the time of flight request assessment and approval (from days to minutes)
As such, the results demonstrate that U-space services can reach a sufficient level of flexibility to be deployed in an existing environment with legacy conditions as well as facilitating the access to the airspace for drone operators.