AIRlabs assess cellular connectivity in test facilities, in partnership with AirborneRF
AIRlabs Austria, a national consortium dedicated to UAS innovation, is working with Dimetor to assess cellular connectivity within their large-scale test facilities. Using Dimetor’s AirborneRF software, this initiative aims to address the challenge of ensuring cellular connectivity for drones across Austria’s flight test zones, which is crucial for the safety and viability of BVLOS operations.
Involved Cooperation Partner
A crucial step towards safe BVLOS operations
“For AIRlabs, as the company with the largest alpine drone test area in Europe, it is crucial to acquire extensive knowledge about our test area to ensure the highest level of safety for our clients. A significant milestone in this endeavor was the Innovation Project conducted in collaboration with Dimetor and A1, which greatly enhances the safe execution of BVLOS operations. I am particularly pleased that we successfully conducted the tests under AIRlabs’ BVLOS Operation Authorization,” says Roswitha Wiedenhofer-Bornemann, Managing Director of AIRlabs Austria.
Both companies, Dimetor and AIRlabs Austria, are known for their work at the forefront of UAS development in Austria. As a nationwide laboratory backed by the Austrian Ministry of Climate Action and Energy, AIRlabs is dedicated to establishing and operating test infrastructures for unmanned aviation systems in a sustainable manner, uniting its key stakeholders and proactively addressing the current and foreseeable demands of UAS technology. Meanwhile, Dimetor has established itself as a pioneer in UAS innovation, focusing on bridging the gap between aviation and mobile networks by connecting the two industries with a user-friendly solution. The platform, AirborneRF, is a holistic and automated airspace analytics platform, able to provide users with dynamic information on the status and performance of airspace connectivity.
Forecasting connectivity and a holistic understanding of airspace
Focusing on the coverage of two leading Austrian mobile network operators, utilising AirborneRF’s solution, AIRLabs conducted an assessment of airspace connectivity in key flight test areas. The measurements were taken in strict accordance with guidelines laid out in the ACJA (the global UTM association and GSMA partnership) document “Reference Method for assessing Cellular C2 Link Performance and RF Environment Characterization for UAS”. In the context of today’s regulatory framework, these activities are vital for understanding airspace characterization and ensuring accurate connectivity data. For large-scale BVLOS drone operations, a solid grasp of these elements is essential to comply with SORA 2.5 requirements, which involve thorough air and ground risk assessments.
Dimetor’s AirborneRF platform was used to complete the analysis. Based upon the data obtained through the ACJA reference method and the live connection to both mobile networks, AirborneRF’s embedded AI capabilities enabled a successful forecasting of airspace connectivity throughout the test facilities.
Driving innovation with AirborneRF
The collaboration between AirborneRF and AIRlabs Austria represents more than just a technical assessment; it is a significant step towards pioneering BVLOS flight operations in Europe by being able to mitigate risks using multiple cellular provider data for BVLOS flights. The integration of AirborneRF’s cutting-edge AI capabilities with AIRlabs’ comprehensive testing infrastructure paves the way for significant advancements in UAS operations, particularly in the regulatory context of SORA.
Given the increasing importance of centralized systems like FIMS (Flight Information Management Systems) and UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management), this initiative has far-reaching implications. The ability to provide real-time, dynamic airspace connectivity data and ground risk assessments is crucial for maintaining safety and efficiency as drone operations scale up.
As the partnership progresses, both AirborneRF and AIRlabs Austria remain committed to fostering innovation and collaboration within the industry, paving the way for the future of unmanned aerial mobility.
About the Project Partner
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Airlabs Austria
AIRlabs Austria GmbH is dedicated to establishing and operating a nationwide BMK innovation laboratory that unites key stakeholders from users, industrial companies, and research institutions to address the current and future needs of UAS research, development and integration. With a consortium of 25 partners, AIRlabs Austria provides access to comprehensive test infrastructures, including airspaces and ground-based facilities. Taking advantage of Austria’s unique alpine environments, AIRlabs Austria supports efficient UAS development processes and offers specialised test areas for diverse applications such as infrastructure inspection, search and rescue, and autonomous air cabs. Committed to public interest and universal access, AIRlabs Austria enhances local testing capabilities and fosters innovation in the Austrian UAS industry.
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Dimetor
Dimetor is a pioneering software firm bridging the gap between mobile networks and the aviation sector. With their cutting-edge platform, AirborneRF, they deliver essential supplementary data crucial for the safety of BVLOS drone operations. AirborneRF identifies 3D airspace corridors with optimal connectivity for drone activities, along with population density metrics for ground risk assessment using anonymized cellular mobility data. Dimetor’s innovative solutions are used globally.
Note
“This article was reproduced with the kind permission of Dimetor GmbH. You can find the original here.”
