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Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS)

 

Traffic Management for sUAS
Operational Organization of Small Unmanned Aerial System Physical Airspace
Designing air corridors for sUAS in consideration of aerial traffic hazards
ASPECTS - Airport Safety Perimeter Control System
 
 
 
 
 
Traffic Management for sUAS
 
sUAS_UTM
 
Within the past few years, civilian demand for small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), commonly referred to as drones, has skyrocketed. The passage of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act in 2012 acknowledged this fact, and has since prompted expedited research and development for civilian sUAS. As proposed at a recent NASA Convention, central to the safe and efficient operations of sUAS will be an unmanned aerial traffic management (UTM) system. Such a UTM system will borrow fundamental ideas from large-scale air-traffic control, albeit with several key differences that provide for sUAS which vary in method of control, maneuverability, function, range, and operational constraints. Ultimately, an expansion of UTM infrastructure, a decentralization of governing authority over sUAS operations, and the establishment of a web-interface for pilots to submit flight plans and access crucial data will allow for sUAS operations to shift from being a science-fiction gimmick to an element of daily life. The major objectives of this paper are to: 1) define what a UTM system is; 2) describe how sUAS pilots would use a typical UTM system to plan flights; 3) identify who has authority over UTM systems; and 4) determine what physical architecture is required in a UTM system which handles a large variety of sUAS, including those operated beyond visual line-of-sight.
 
 
 
 
sUAS_Op
 
Surging demand for public and civil applications of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) has urged the government, the industry, and the academia to explore ways to integrate such vehicles into already crowded national airspace. With research actively on-going at the high level which concerns about policies and regulations and at the low level which addresses sense and avoid, A wide gap has been identified in between. Hence, this paper aims at the middle-level sUAS operational organization problem. The objective of this paper is to integrate ideas presented by the FAA, NASA, Amazon, and academia regarding airspace organization with successful experiences of traffic operation in other modes of transportation in order to design safe and efficient operation modes for sUAS traffic.
 
 
 
 
sUAS_Hazards
 
This research expands upon a proposed highway-style method of traffic management for commercial sUAS, with the goal of increasing traffic safety and efficiency. Various potential hazards that sUAS may encounter mid-flight will be examined and categorized by severity; their resulting effects on traffic flow will be analyzed when applicable. Potential design improvements will be suggested, and areas for future study will be pinpointed in the process. The purpose of this research is to help bring large-scale sUAS travel networks closer to reality.
 
 
 
 
sUAS_GeoFencing
 
The increased popularity of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) has expanded the possibilities for innovation with aerial photography, package delivery services, and other exciting applications. However, many new users are inexperienced with flying and unaware of the guidelines and regulations in place to ensure safety and prevent potentially disastrous collisions. The ASPECTS module – a Raspberry Pi computer connected to a communication device – mounts on the UAV and interfaces with the flight controller to restrict flight in FAA-designated No-Fly zones.
 
 
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