New developments for secure drone communication, AI-supported flight safety and digital airspaces.
Autonomous drones offer great potential for applications in areas such as logistics, infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and disaster relief. To ensure their safe and reliable integration into regular air traffic in the future, high-performance communication systems, trustworthy AI, and precise digital airspace information are essential. The research projects SKADRO, ISEKIS , and ADAM are developing innovative technologies for this purpose and making important contributions to the further development of the future U-Space.
The SKADRO investigates the use of existing mobile networks for communication between drones, pilots, and U-Space services. The results show that modern 4G and 5G networks enable stable and scalable connections, thus creating a robust foundation for the simultaneous operation of multiple drones. ISEKIS is developing methods to continuously monitor AI-based flight systems, detect malfunctions early, and transparently document the decisions of autonomous systems. This aims to strengthen safety and trust in the use of autonomous drones. ADAM complements these approaches with high-resolution, machine-readable 3D maps of the lower airspace. These digital maps support more precise flight planning, facilitate approval processes, and create the basis for the safe integration of drones into future U-Space services.
Together, the three projects address key challenges of autonomous drone operation – from reliable communication and the safeguarding of AI-supported decisions to the digital mapping of airspace. In doing so, they create essential prerequisites for the safe, scalable, and efficient use of unmanned aerial vehicles in a wide variety of applications.
Source: innocam.nrw
