DLR Blueprint – Initial ConOps of U-Space Flight Rules (UFR)

This Blueprint proposes an initial Concept of Operations (ConOps) of new flight rules for crewed and uncrewed airspace users in U-space airspaces, called U-space Flight Rules (UFR). Based on current European U-space architectures, UFR are intended to enable high-density Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) operations while harmonising with today’s flight rules and Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. This ConOps suggests that all airspace users in U-space airspaces follow a uniform framework of flight rules. The proposed UFR architecture is based on U-space levels, respective U-space services, and aircraft automation capabilities. UFR shall complement existing flight rules and leverage airspace access and flexibility of flight operations of all airspace users

Unbemannt zur Rettung

Starke und anhaltende Regenfälle haben zu einer weitreichenden Überflutung des Elbe-Seitenkanals und des Tankumsees bei Gifhorn geführt. Straßen sind überflutet und vereinzelt sind Menschen im Hochwassergebiet eingeschlossen. Teile der Verkehrsinfrastruktur sind beschädigt und behindern den Einsatz der Rettungskräfte. Ähnliche Szenarien haben sich in Deutschland bereits häufiger abgespielt. In diesem Fall handelt es sich jedoch um ein simuliertes Krisenszenario im Rahmen eines großangelegten Demonstrationsprojekts. Am Flughafen Braunschweig-Wolfsburg hebt derweil das Forschungsflugzeug D-CODE des DLR zu einer Aufklärungsmission ab. Es soll aktuelle Luftbilder zur Lageerfassung des Krisengebiets aufnehmen und damit notwendige Informationen zur Planung von Hilfseinsätzen bereitstellen. An Bord des Forschungsflugzeugs befindet sich nur ein Sicherheitspilot, es fliegt beinahe automatisch - gesteuert und überwacht vom Boden aus. Ein erster wichtiger Schritt für den Einsatz unbemannter Flugzeuge (RPAS) zum Krisenmanagement

Enabling Efficient Approach Procedures for Unmanned Aircraft (UA)

Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into non-segregated airspace remains a major goal to be achieved for future acceptance of unmanned systems. Currently, most civil and military UAS operations are taking place in segregated airspace so that collision avoidance and separation with other traffic is of minor concern. To further enable the UAS operational scope, Unmanned Aircraft (UA) must be able to fly in airspace where other traffic is operating as well. This becomes increasingly important when considering the effects on efficiency and safety caused by the participation of UAS in the approaching and departing traffic at (civil) hub airports. Enabling a smooth integration of UA into the traffic stream of an airport requires the examination of two different aspects. One important aspect is the handling of UA Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) under the requirement of wake vortex separation and a sustained Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication. A second aspect that needs to be considered is the potential of improving current UAS approach procedures and their effect on airport capacity

Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Efficiently into Hub Airport Approach Procedures

Currently, most civil and military UAS operations are taking place in segregated airspace so that collision avoidance and separation with other traffic is of minor concern. To further enable the UAS operational scope, Unmanned Aircraft (UA) must be able to fly in airspace where other traffic is operating as well. This becomes increasingly important when considering the effects on efficiency and safety caused by the participation of UAS in the approaching and departing traffic at (civil) hub airports. Enabling a smooth integration of UA into the traffic stream of an airport requires the examination of two different aspects. One important aspect is the handling of UA Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) under the requirement of wake vortex separation and a sustained Air Traffic Control (ATC) communication. A second aspect that needs to be considered is the potential of improving current UAS approach procedures and their effect on airport capacity. In this paper, a concept is presented, in which a single generic Ground Control Station (GCS), located at or near the airport can be used to control multiple UAS and, in conjunction with advanced GBAS approach procedures, can facilitate the shared use of an airport

Sicherheit in einem neuen Luftraum: Paketdrohnen, Lufttaxis und der bemannte Luftverkehr

Eine kleine Paketdrohne liefert eine Warensendung im Vorgarten eines Einfamilienhauses ab. Darüber fliegen autonome Lufttaxis, die Pendler Richtung Innenstadt zu ihren Arbeitsplätzen bringen. Über den innerstädtischen Kreuzungen schweben kleine Überwachungsdrohnen, die das Verkehrsaufkommen und Störungen erkennen und sie interaktiv an eine zentrale Verkehrsregelung und vernetzte autonome Fahrzeuge kommunizieren

Konzeption einer Mensch-Maschine Schnittstelle zur Überwachung und Führung mehrerer hochautomatisierter UAS im kontrollierten Luftraum

Ein Ziel des Forschungsbereiches Zukünftige Führungsfunktionen für UAS ist die Entwicklung eines Systems zur simultanen Führung und Überwachung mehrerer UAS. Um UAS-Piloten bei ihren Aufgaben bestmöglich zu unterstützen, wurde unter Berücksichtigung wissenschaftlich fundierter Human Factors Methoden eine bedienergerechte Mensch-Maschine Schnittstelle konzipier

Operational integration of UAS into the ATM system

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are a novel component in the aviation system, offering advancements which may open new and improved civil and military applications. In general employing UAS is considered useful in missions which are either too undemanding (i.e. steady border monitoring) or too dangerous (i.e. natural disaster reconnaissance, adverse terrain or weather) to employ manned aircraft. Unmanned aircraft systems are therefore becoming increasingly important even for non-military and civil applications. A main challenge however is the integration of UAS into the existing and future Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. Integration of UAS into non-segregated airspace remains a major goal to be solved for future acceptance of these systems. Currently, most civil and military UAS operations are taking place in segregated airspace so that collision avoidance and separation with other traffic is of no concern. To further enable the UAS operational scope, Unmanned Aircraft (UA) must be able to fly in airspace where other traffic is operating as well. In this paper, simulation trials are presented in which UAS are operating together with manned aircraft in non-segregated airspace. Different simulation scenarios were hereby investigated. The applied scenarios are based on the execution of two different mission types, a transfer and a surveillance flight. In the simulations the potential risk of collisions in different flight phases of the UA and the applicability of prevailing Air Traffic Control procedures for manned aircraft were examined. Flying UAS in non-segregated airspace may generate risks to other airspace users if they fail to follow the rules valid for this particular airspace. To investigate the potential risks, two exemplary failure scenarios of UAS were integrated into the simulation scenarios. In addition, air traffic controllers (ATCO) were surveyed with regard to workload and their evaluation of the maintenance of safety within the different scenarios

Trajectory-Based Mission Planner for Multiple RPAS

The extent to which Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are able to autonomously perform basic navigation and flight control tasks currently increases through ongoing technological advances. These novel systems and the increased mission scenario complexity present new challenges to the future RPAS pilot. These new responsibilities will include decisions at the level of mission management and mission planning, which require extensive knowledge of mission objectives and constraints, available resources and terrestrial conditions in addition to the understanding of the aircraft’s systems. The Institute of Flight Guidance of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) currently aims to develop an advanced mission planner to deal with groups of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The mission planner shall be responsible to calculate optimized mission plans based on variable mission objectives and constraints. In the context of an upcoming European demonstration project for crisis management, the new planning module will be applied to determine optimal flight paths for multiple RPA assigned to scan an area of interest in the shortest time possible. One of the key research aspects will be the determination of an appropriate level of RPAS autonomy, when trying to optimize human-machine interaction and improving situational awareness of remote pilots in controlling multiple RPA simultaneously. This contribution provides a summary of current mission planning approaches in the area of RPAS and introduces the concept of 4D trajectory-based mission planning within the framework of DLR’s RPA Ground Control Station (GCS). It also presents an analysis of the newly imposed system requirements and improvement opportunities

Density based Management Concept for Urban Air Traffic

In this paper we proposes a density-based airspace management system for future U-Space. The concept focusses on the integration of new airspace users (e.g., UAS and Urban Air Taxis) into uncontrolled airspace (here airspace G). The advantage of the proposed concept is that it opens up the airspace equally for lowly equipped and highly-equipped UAS. The concept gives incentives for UAS manufacturers and operators to invest in performance relevant technology, but doesn’t exclude lowly equipped airspace users from entering the U-Space airspace. The concept behind this approach relies on efficient airspace segmentation and UAS performance modelling. Based on airspace characteristics (e.g. ground class, geofences, U-Space service availability, occurrence of VFR-traffic or other non-cooperative airspace users) the airspace is segmented into cells of similar requirements. Generally, each airspace user is modelled by an ellipsoid defining its individual performance parameters with regard to navigation, communication and the capability to detect other airspace users (cooperatively and uncooperatively). The lower the overall performance, the larger the resulting safety ellipsoid will be for the aircraft. As a result, an airspace cell might either be used solely by few aircraft with a large ellipsoid – reaching the cell’s capacity – or several aircraft with smaller ellipsoids. This results in an airspace management which allows a lot of freedom at low density, but little freedom at high density