Neuron - ARPAS UK

Philip Hicks, partner at Campaign Catapult and Principal Consultant and Founder of Pravo Consulting reports on the latest milestones achieved by industry drone and sensor experts and academics in the pursuit of mixed use air space and safe operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations have taken a step forward in the UK with the culmination of the Project BLUEPRINT showcase presented at Cranfield University’s Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) on 25 June. This initiative, under the Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge, aims to develop open-source solutions for establishing drone zones in local areas, ensuring safe and efficient operations.

Project BLUEPRINT, a two-year initiative, has been pivotal in advancing BVLOS drone operations in the UK. The project team successfully developed and integrated minimum viable products (MVPs), laying the groundwork for BVLOS solutions. A comprehensive sensor network was deployed, enhancing situational awareness and safety. Initial testing validated the system’s functionality and performance, securing approval from the relevant authorities and demonstrating compliance with aviation standards.

“Project BLUEPRINT was developed to show how ground-based surveillance networks and an open-architecture approach to UTM can enable BVLOS operations at scale,” said James Dunthorne, Strategic Lead for Project BLUEPRINT. “Our team has developed the necessary systems, integrated them, tested them, safety assessed them, and operated them in a live environment, allowing us to pull off a demonstration at this event that will hopefully give industry, government and regulators a clear vision for how the future of drone integration will come together. We’d like to thank everyone who has put in an extraordinary amount of effort to make this event so successful,”

The presentation on July 25 included live flight demonstrations in four parts covering flight plan and amendments with ‘intruder entering a transponder mandatory zone (TMZ) without permission’. Scenarios included a range of aircraft including VTOL BVLOS UAS (real take off from Cranfield Airport), Fixed Wing BVLOS UAS (simulated) and VTOL VLOS UAS (simulated)

Previous BVLOS projects have primarily operated in temporary danger areas (TDA’s) which are temporary and isolated from other airspace users, limiting scalability. These operations have focused on technology demonstrations and trials without establishing a sustainable business model.

With the blueprint for BVLOS in large part developed, the project team is now focused on the next phase: Detect and Avoid (DAA) testing.

The DAA testing phase is critical for BVLOS operations, encompassing validation of sensor coverage using ADS-B equipped unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), simulation scenarios for pilot decision-making, rigorous command performance validation, feedback loop simulations, and comprehensive system integrity testing. This phase aims to ensure the overall system’s reliability and calculate risk ratios accurately.

Next steps include working with Cranfield Airport and CAA to obtain TRA approval (by September 2024) and completion of assurance work in line with CAA’s DAA policy concept. Engaging with the general aviation industry, ARPAS-UK and CAA, the project aligns BVLOS operations with existing aviation practices. Inevitably, policymakers and regulators need to key into trials such as BLUEPRINT, and this will include alignment with the CAA’s Airspace policy concept for BVLOS flying, (dubbed as a roadmap for the development and modernisation of UK airspace until 2040).

Graham Brown, Chair of ARPAS-UK summarised: “The path to fully integrated airspace is complex with many moving parts. This project is excellent progress towards that goal.”

Project milestones and partners

The key milestones to the project are:

MVPs Built and Integrated: The project team successfully developed and seamlessly integrated minimum viable products (MVPs), forming the bedrock of the BVLOS solution.
Sensor Network Installation and Modelling: A comprehensive sensor network was meticulously deployed and modelled, enhancing situational awareness and safety.
Initial Testing Completed: Rigorous testing validated system functionality and performance.
OSC (Operating Safety Case) Approval: The project secured approval from the relevant authorities, ensuring compliance with regulations.
TRA (Temporary Reserved Airspace) Application in Process: The team is part way through the process with the CAA to enable ADS-B mandated airspace to conduct routine operations.

Project BLUEPRINT relies on the collective efforts of the following organisations:

Many of the above organisations are ARPAS-UK Members.

Philip Hicks, 30 June 2024

From Project BLUEPRINT trials lay groundwork for open-architecture UK UTM system – Unmanned airspace

A UK-first proof of concept trial for the delivery of medical supplies – including Covid-19 test kits – to vessels at sea is to be held at Montrose Port this week.

Project MediDrone, which uses remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, was funded by a UK Government innovation grant and will involve the aircraft departing the quayside at Montrose and landing on a vessel offshore.

If successful, the trial could open up the opportunity for Covid-19 tests and other medical supplies to be delivered to and from vessels without them needing to dock or be boarded by harbour pilots, further reducing any risk of infection being brought back to shore and into the community.

The trials are being coordinated by London-based technology firm Neuron Innovations Ltd in partnership with ‘drone-in-a-box’ provider Herotech8 and specialist insurance and risk management company, Flock.

Weather permitting, the flight will take place at midday on Thursday 29th April 2021.

Niall Greenwood, CEO at Neuron, said that Montrose was chosen for its location, facilities, and the management team’s forward-thinking approach: ‘We are delighted to be leading the Montrose Drone trials, to enable the delivery of medical supplies from shore to ship,” he said.

“Drones offer a much safer, faster, and more cost-effective method of delivery compared with more traditional approaches. By connecting the drone to Neuron’s surveillance network we have made a significant step to enabling these kinds of applications on a routine basis. The data from our networks provide the drone pilot with the ability to remotely observe nearby aircraft so that they can keep the drone safely separated from them”

Herotech8’s ‘drone-in-a-box’ solution comprises an automated recharging station and communication relay which allows the drone to be operated remotely and on-demand by a pilot situated at their offices at Cranfield University. The drone automatically takes off and lands and follows pre-programmed waypoints during its flight. The pilot is there just to monitor the drone during the flight to ensure the safety of the public and other airspace users.

Hamish Murray, Projects Team Leader at Montrose Port Authority, said: “Securing this trial is a unique opportunity for Montrose and adds to the growing list of innovative projects going on within the port and the broader local community. We already work closely with the team behind the proposed Montrose Drone Port and as well as using our quayside for the trials, our pilot boat and other port personnel will also be heavily involved. With our growing reputation within the offshore wind industry, as well as traditional oil and gas and general cargo, we can see drones potentially becoming a common sight in the skies above the port and at sea, and I’m glad that we are able to play such a pivotal role in helping shape the future of this exciting technology.”

Sam Golden at Flock added: “This trial paves the way for widespread use of drones for ship to shore delivery. We are showing how drones can improve safety, cut costs and increase efficiency in ports globally. I’m grateful to the UK government for supporting this trial and to Neuron for bringing together best in class companies to deliver on it. Great things can happen when companies are given the space to collaborate.”

The trial was made possible by a grant from UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI’s) Future Flight Challenge. The consortium’s aim is to demonstrate how the safety and efficiency of ports can be improved using drones to reduce the number of trips to vessels by pilot boats which can take hours to complete and are made dangerous by the crew having to climb a rope ladder from one vessel to another.

26 April 2021