Outcome of the Project
The Study was one of the two technology areas selected from an initial list of more than 10 critical technologies of interest to the participating Member States for technology demonstration studies funded by the Agency. It was launched in March 2006, and after 16.5 months the project was completed in August 2007, and results of the Study were presented to the participating Member States at the Final Presentation on 13 November 2007.
Sense & Avoid technologies were already key issues for the operation and training of LE UAVs when decision was made on launching the Study, and its importance has significantly grown in view of recent new initiatives. To achieve the insertion of UAVs into general air traffic it was unavoidable to assess the feasibility of S&A systems allowing LE UAVs to avoid mid-air collisions with other airspace users, taking into account technological, regulatory and certification aspects.
The results of the Study provided significant advance to the feasibility of a Sense & Avoid Demonstrator by delivering an extensive and detailed insight into the following elements:
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mapping of the applicable regulations,
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definition of requirements,
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definition of potential technical solutions for short term an mid term as well,
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testing the proposed technical solutions by means of simulation,
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assessment of the impact of the implementation of the proposed potential solutions on the future use of LE UAVs, the Air Traffic Management (ATM) procedures and safety considerations.
The complete report has been made available to the designated representatives of the EDA participating Member States. A project overview is available and can be downloaded from the link at the top of this page.