The purpose of WP6 is to conduct a series of integrated tests as a result of the safety-case assessment and B-VLOS certification formulated in WP2 and supported by research and development in WP3-WP5.
First test case: Ship emissions test using drones
The first integrated test case will involve Explicit I/S conducting ship emissions tests using the small lightweight 3D Robotics, Inc. Aero drone equipped with proprietary sensing equipment. The integrated test scenario will take place in one of four shipping lanes identified in Figure 2 and will be simultaneously covered by radar.
The results of the test will be used in the safety-case and technological development of iteration 2.
Second iteration of testing: Development of autonomous drones
In the second iteration of integrated testing, the goal is to build a cost effective UAS that is able to carry out safe autonomous B-VLOS flight operations with an acceptable safety-case to serve as a foundation for future certification of commercial B-VLOS operations for small Unmanned Aerial Systems. A number of mission types will be flown at HCA Airport to demonstrate flight operation procedures and present a viable safety-case for general types of B-VLOS flight operations:
- Surveying and Mapping: Operations where the size of the area to be surveyed makes it hard or impractical to have to relocate the pilot all the time. Mission: Photo survey a 2*5 km area of land in one flight.
- Delivery: Unmanned aircraft systems represent a strong case for delivering high value and lifesaving items to inaccessible locations. Mission: Autonomously deliver a 1kg payload across a distance of at least 5 kilometers and return the UAS to its origin.
- Search and rescue: Location of lost individuals or property by small drone. Mission: Locate a beacon in a 2*5 km search grid and relay its position back to rescue team.
- Construction inspection: Carry out a pilot controlled construction inspection in an urban environment from a remote location. Mission: Conduct a pilot controlled roof or solar panel inspection flight in a built up area by remote vision and return the drone to origin.
- Long distance flights over populated area: Carry out long-distance point-to-point flights over a densely populated area to conduct range tests of radio links and demonstrate a safety-case for flight operations in a complex urban environment.
For each mission type, a safety-case will be established and analysed in WP2 with the aim of providing a general safety-case for B-VLOS flight operation that could serve as the foundation for commercial B-VLOS operation safety-case analysis and standards.
During the test flights, the integration and abilities of methods and hardware developed in WP2 thru WP5 will be tested and analysed by its developers to validate performance in real world scenarios.
The integrated flight test results will be processed by SDU Center for Integrative Innovation Management. They will deliver a set of value propositions as part of an interactive business model framework aimed at identifying the market potential and the technological feasibility of deploying the proposed solutions in the UAS industry.