Sense & Avoid
Safe operations for unmanned aerial systems (ongoing)
Project partner:
Importance of Sense & Avoid for UAVs and safe airspace integration
The integration of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) – drones – into airspace poses numerous challenges. A key aspect of this is Sense & Avoid (S&A) – the ability to detect and avoid potential collisions with other aircraft or obstacles. While this technology has been established in manned aviation for decades, unmanned aviation still lacks unified and widely adopted definitions, standards, laws, and procedures – even though initial frameworks have been published by authorities such as EASA, JARUS, and the FAA, and international standards like RTCA DO-365, DO-386, and DO-396 have been developed (see e.g. https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/4/344).
Project objectives: Developing innovative S&A solutions for UAVs
The main objective of the Sense & Avoid project is to create a common understanding of the technical and regulatory requirements for S&A systems. This is essential to drive future developments in the areas of autonomy, BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flights, UTM (Uncrewed Traffic Management) and U-Space. By working together with various stakeholders, practical requirements are identified that enhance the project’s innovation potential and go beyond the current state of the art.
Key objectives of the project
AIRlabs Austria: practice-oriented coordination and stakeholder involvement
As project coordinator, AIRlabs Austria not only contributes organisational responsibility, but also its extensive practical experience in drone operations. AIRlabs played a central role in conducting a stakeholder survey that specifically involved experts from industry, air traffic controllers, pilots and drone pilots. AIRlabs’ broad network enabled a realistic assessment of current requirements and challenges in the area of Sense & Avoid. The current state of the art was determined in close collaboration with the project partners – always focusing on specific applications and practical solutions.
Roadmap for safe UAV operations: Autonomy, safety and accident avoidance
A key outcome of the project is the development of a comprehensive roadmap that can be used by technology companies, government organisations and users to structure future research and innovation work. This roadmap provides requirements and potential pathways forward in the area of Sense & Avoid.
Outlook
Improving drone safety through Sense & Avoid technologies
The insights gained from the project will contribute to the development of innovative solutions for the safe integration of UAVs into airspace. The aim is to further improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of drone systems and thus create the basis for future applications in the field of U-space and aviation.
Sense & Avoid is a research project within the FFG TAKE OFF programme and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI).
Note
The header image was created using AI and is for illustrative purposes only.