It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s …

Researchers at Embry-Riddle, the private aeronautical university with campuses in Vero Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona—have received a $371,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to study the inflight, air-traffic detection systems of un-crewed aerial systems (UASs).

The research seeks to determine means by which to improve the safety of such systems as their widespread implementation looms imminent. 

The research will inform the development of standards and requirements for the sensitivity and accuracy of TCAS-style, detect-and-avoid systems, which will improve safety—especially in instances comprising contemporaneous operation of multiple UAS in a common airspace.  

Extant technology provides neither autonomous nor remote-piloted UASs sufficient data by which to differentiate between birds, kites, centerfield fly-balls, etc. and genuine threats such as other aerial vehicles. Inaccurate or misleading sensor data gives rise to an overall lack of situational awareness inconsistent with widespread implementation of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions in the National Airspace System.

By better establishing the capabilities and limitations of contemporary airborne platforms, cloud-based infrastructure, and user-interfaces, Embry-Riddle researchers hope to provide the FAA information germane to the proper regulation of near-future UAS operations.

Aerospace engineer and Embry-Riddle graduate Nathan Schaff states: “I think that advanced air mobility and unmanned aerial systems will be a defining aspect of the 21st century, but before that can happen, a great deal of time and effort must be put into making sure that when the first aircraft start to fly, people won’t get hurt. For this project, we are fundamentally focused on maximizing safety, and there’s no greater job than that.”

The research project, which will continue through March of 2024, is a collaboration between Embry-Riddle, Mississippi State University, Ohio State University, the University of North Dakota, and Cal Analytics.

FMI. www.erau.edu