ARPAS-UK - ARPAS UK

SAM IS ....

Is your council ready for the growth of drones and air taxis?

AAM4Gov, the AAM Academy for UK City and Local Governments has launched the first on-line courses to support UK local authorities engage with the drone and advanced air mobility industries to save lives, improve delivery of council services and reduce carbon emissions whilst also ensuring communities are protected from illegal and inconsiderate use of drones.

Brighton, October 24, 2023 AAM4Gov, the AAM Academy for UK City and Local Governments, has announced the launch of the first courses on its learning platform focused on closing the skills gap among local authorities in developing new policies to optimise drone and future electric air taxi services, part of the new advanced air mobility (AAM) transport revolution.

AAM4Gov is supported by the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK and the Economic and Social Research Council, having won funding from the “Future Flight: closing the skills gaps” competition.

“While many councils have been using drones for years to reduce survey and maintenance costs and support first responders – such as fire services, police and coast guard units – in saving lives, new technology developments are about to rapidly increase the number and capabilities of drones in the skies above us,” said Philip Butterworth- Hayes, editorial director of AAM4Gov. “The first electric air taxis will fly in Europe next year, while drones will soon be delivering defibrillators, medicines and pizzas to households throughout the UK. For councils, this is an opportunity and a challenge. Our remote learning courses have been designed to help local authorities more easily and quickly develop policies to optimise the benefits and reduce the risks.”

The first three courses now available are:

An Introduction to AAM & UAM
Community Benefits of Drones and eVTOLs
AAM Public Consultation – covering methods of engaging with local communities to ensure citizens’
needs are prioritised in any new service launch.

Further courses scheduled for November are:

AAM Drone Security – critical aspects of drone security and managing drone nuisance
AAM and the Law
AAM Policy Making – developing drone/AAM policies which attract new investment and business, while reducing costs and environmental footprints.

Courses are designed to meet the needs of local authority senior decision makers and those involved in policy making, planning, first responders, estate management and surveying, transport, environment and social services.

Interested? Register at AAM4Gov.com and enrol to get full access to the initial courses which are available for free for a limited introductory period.

Click here to register

SAM IS ....

Commercial Drone Industry Report & Tookit launched

Dr Anna Jackman, Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Reading, has released her Commercial Drone Industry Report: Professional, Responsible and Considerate Drone Use, in conjunction with ARPAS-UK.

In addition, Dr Jackman has launched her Drone Industry Toolkit for Professional, responsible and Considerate commercial drone use. Again this is in conjunction with ARPAS-UK, for whom such use lies at the heart of what we advocate on behalf of.

The Report is a thoroughly researched look at how the Drone Industry views itself from within, what it perceives as barriers to the industry’s growth, and the opportunities.

Again, the Toolkit is what the Industry sees as being important to carrying out commercial activities to the highest professional standard. It is heartening to see so many people involved in the industry working to such high standards and willing to share Best Practice.

Both documents can be viewed here:

Drone Industry Report: Professional, Responsible and Considerate Drone Use

Drone Industry Toolkit for Professional, Responsible and Considerate Drone Use

The resources are part of Dr Jackman’s ESRC Diversifying Drone Stories research project on exploring use cases and benefits; impacts on communities and environments; professional, responsible and considerate commercial drone best practice; challenges and barriers facing the industry, and ambitions and desires for the future.

Dr Anna Jackman and the University of Reading are ARPAS-UK Members.

18 October 2023

SAM IS ....

BT Launches UK’s First Drone SIM to Revolutionise UAV Connectivity

ARPAS-UK members BT, Sees.ai, Skylift and Skyfarer have collaborated to pioneer in telecommunications, unveiling the launch of the UK’s inaugural Drone SIM. This cutting-edge technology is set to unlock the full potential of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations throughout the United Kingdom.

The Drone SIM, designed to function seamlessly via the EE network, offers unlimited data plans and continuous connectivity while soaring through the skies. It boasts robust construction that can withstand vibration, extreme temperatures, and humidity, making it suitable for year-round drone usage. Initially, BT’s business customers will reap the benefits of this transformative technology, which has the potential to revolutionize a multitude of industries. From the swift delivery of medical supplies to infrastructure monitoring and efficient transportation of goods, the applications are boundless.

Leveraging the BT Group’s EE network, the Drone SIM enjoys high-priority, ultra-responsive connectivity. This ensures safety, precise control, telemetry, and the ability to stream ultra-high-definition (UHD) video content at altitude. This breakthrough empowers drone users to capture detailed, survey-grade imagery and videos, facilitating various applications, from search and rescue missions to infrastructure inspections.

The Drone SIM represents a remarkable leap forward in drone flight capabilities. With the broadest geographic coverage in the UK, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can now travel significant distances, fully unleashing their capabilities, all while maintaining continuous communication with remote pilots and safety systems. This marks a profound departure from the previous limitations imposed by line-of-sight radio transmission or local Wi-Fi connectivity.

Etc., the digital start-up and incubation arm of the BT Group, has played a pivotal role in driving innovation in the drone industry. Their historic collaborations, including a £5 million deal with Altitude Angel to develop the UK’s first drone superhighway, exemplify their commitment to advancing drone technology. The launch of the Drone SIM follows a series of successful trials and developments by the Etc. team. These trials encompassed critical infrastructure inspections with drone technology provider sees.ai, the validation of BVLOS mission safety standards in integrated airspace with turnkey Uncrewed Aerial System providers Skylift, and even powered a groundbreaking drone medical delivery trial with aerial logistics specialist Skyfarer.

Dave Pankhurst, Director of Drones at BT, expressed his excitement, stating, “Following the successful trials of our Drone SIM over the past year, this announcement is a huge stepping stone in bringing drone connectivity to businesses across the UK, unlocking potential for more efficient processes, business transformation and, with the ability to power search and rescue missions and medical deliveries, helping to save lives.”

Eduardo Aldaz-Carroll, Chief Technology Officer at sees.ai, emphasized the significance of drone inspections for critical national energy infrastructure. He said, “Drones offer significant benefits by increasing the speed, efficiency, and consistency of data capture so we can predict the future state of the asset with reduced risk and environmental impact. It’s great to be working with BT Group to develop the technologies required to roll out BVLOS drone inspection and monitoring at scale.”

Nick Ruggles, Chief Technology Officer at Skylift, acknowledged the game-changing impact of BT’s Telecoms Grade C2 links, stating, “BT’s Telecoms Grade C2 links have halved our deployment setup times. With recurring costs at just 14% of other systems and virtually zero infrastructure expenses, this is a game changer for us.”

Georgia Hanrahan, Chief Operations Officer at Skyfarer, highlighted the efficiency gains, saying, “With the Drone SIM powering BVLOS flight, we can take a 20-minute flight between two hospitals and reduce this to a more direct 8-minute flight. Perfect for time-sensitive deliveries. We estimate a wider scale roll out nationwide could reduce our delivery time by 60% compared to road transport.”

The Drone SIM is now available for purchase via the BT website.

SAM IS ....

Evolve Dynamics and Cambridge Sensoriis Achieve Ground-breaking Fully Autonomous Drone Landing with ARC Radar Sensors

In a remarkable partnership, British UAV manufacturer Evolve Dynamics and radar technology specialist Cambridge Sensoriis have achieved a historic milestone in the world of autonomous drone technology. Together, they have successfully executed the world’s first fully autonomous drone landing, thanks to the integration of Cambridge Sensoriis’ ARC radar sensor devices with Evolve Dynamics’ Sky Mantis UAV. This groundbreaking achievement allows for autonomous landing, loitering, and zonal position holding, all without the reliance on other sensors, making it especially well-suited for GPS-denied environments.

Laurence Mallinson, Chief Commercial Officer at Evolve Dynamics, underlined the significance of this technological leap, stating, “Using radar pods that communicate with each other, our UAVs will be able to land autonomously in any weather, on a moving host platform, or in a GPS-denied environment. The key aspect of the system is that it is not reliant on visual navigation methods such as 2D barcodes or LEDs, and therefore is able to operate in adverse weather conditions and complete invisibility, such as fog or mist.”

The collaboration involves ground-based radar beacons from Cambridge Sensoriis establishing communication with an airside radar mounted within the Sky Mantis aircraft, providing precise positioning data to the autopilot.

This innovative technology empowers Evolve Dynamics’ Sky Mantis with robust positioning autonomy, enabling a wide range of operations, including vessel landing, loitering in both static and moving holding positions, and maintaining flight within defined corridors or zones. Thanks to Sensoriis’ radar capabilities, Sky Mantis can now launch from, follow, and land on moving vehicles or boats.

Steve Clark, CEO of Cambridge Sensoriis, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, “We’ve believed for some time that our radar-based positional information could add value to drone deployments, but it has taken the expertise and support of Evolve Dynamics to see that come to fruition with actual real-world autonomous maneuvering and landing. It’s a first for us. We’re delighted with the collaborative spirit of this partnership and the opportunity ahead.”

Mike Dewhirst, CEO of Evolve Dynamics, emphasized the importance of this achievement, saying, “This is a major step forward. To achieve resilient autonomy and positioning without existing infrastructure, such as GPS, is essential. This is critical in defense scenarios, where we already have a strong market presence, as well as for the general scalability of industry drone solutions that will require strong resilience and redundancy.”

This groundbreaking achievement marks a significant advancement in the field of autonomous drone technology and opens up exciting possibilities for various industries, including public safety, defense, and energy. Evolve Dynamics and Cambridge Sensoriis are committed to pushing the boundaries of UAV technology and contributing to a better future.

About Evolve Dynamics: Evolve Dynamics is a UK-based UAV/UAS design and manufacturing company that provides aircraft and software solutions to customers across industries, including public safety, defense, and energy. Their mission is to find solutions to real-world problems through UAV technology, focusing on user needs and contributing to a better future.

SAM IS ....

October 13 2023 Drone Related Jobs

Disclaimer: All jobs posted here are from LinkedIn and other job sites including member and non-member organizations.

University of Southampton is looking for a Specialist UAV Engineer