The use of and access to airspace by unmanned aircraft has never been more in evidence. The emergence of new projects, the widespread use of the equipment in different market verticals and, in general, the growing use of these aircraft around the world, mean that their civilian applications and the exploitation of the equipment to its full capacity, demand an increasingly rational and optimized use of airspace.
As unmanned aircraft are increasingly being produced and used all over the world, all their civilian applications have to be limited to restricted areas, such as agricultural fields, infrastructure works, among other places. In this way, the advent of new applications, as well as the establishment and development of applications such as product delivery and even the transportation of people, are linked not only to the development of projects and new technologies, but also to the development of adequate infrastructure and safe and conscious access to airspace for operations. Observing this need, regulatory bodies, industry and universities are seeking to join forces and drive the development of a democratic and safe airspace that also harbors the full operational potential of unmanned aircraft systems.
XMobots is one of the companies that has been working with DECEA on the study and development of air traffic control systems for unmanned aircraft (Check out information on XUTM - RPA Air Traffic Control System: https://xmobots.com.br/xutm/). And between February 14 and 17, 2022, Décio Gomes Palhas Junior, XMobots Certification Manager, and Marcos Batista, XMobots development engineer, were invited to represent the company at the first workshop of the Simua Project (Safe Integration of Unmanned Aircrafts in the Airspace) promoted by DECEA, in São José dos Campos (SP), which was also attended by a Swedish delegation, made up of members of the project formed by representatives of SAAB, researchers from Linköping University and members of Luftfatsverket: LFV (Swedish air navigation service provider).
Basically, the project is part of a broader scope, the Air Domain Study - ADS, with developments related to the ability to detect and avoid "Detect and Avoid" applied to the reality of unmanned aircraft and with the aim of enabling the same capabilities of pilots of manned aircraft to remote pilots, regarding the identification and avoidance of obstacles in flight, by means of intelligent on-board sensors.
According to Captain Jean Pierre de Castro Benevides, Head of DECEA's Unmanned Aircraft System Planning Section, developing viable on-board solutions for RPAs lighter than 25kg (the profile of aircraft that will be used more in delivery operations, for example) is one of the major challenges in the project.
Major Jorge Alexandre de Almeida Regis, the Brazilian representative on the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel (RPASP), adds: "By applying the triple helix concept, this type of event gives the Brazilian government the chance to bring together academia, industry and regulatory bodies in a single environment, with a view to researching and developing the technological solutions needed to integrate the unmanned aircraft system. Once integrated into SISCEAB, unmanned aircraft will bring benefits to the community as a whole, including contributing to the implementation of the concept of urban air mobility."
Décio Gomes is also very optimistic about the scenario ahead: "The development of solutions of this type, applied to unmanned aircraft, is making an increasingly positive contribution to the degree of automation of the equipment and its safe insertion into the airspace. Considering the increased ability of these systems to "perceive" the environment around them, the benefits brought about by the use of these solutions can be seen in scenarios and environments that are increasingly close to the population, who can consequently take advantage of these products and services with a satisfactory level of safety. The participation of industry, together with regulatory bodies and universities, demonstrates the cooperation and confluence of interests, in understanding the needs of each of the parties, aiming for safe growth in the unmanned aircraft market, and the insertion of these systems in gradually more complex scenarios, with an increase in the systems' capabilities, based on embedded solutions such as those that will be brought about by this major project."
Source of statements: https://www.decea.mil.br/?i=midia-e-informacao&p=pg_noticia&materia=decea-recebe-comitiva-sueca-em-evento-dedicado-a-voos-nao-tripulados (DECEA website - published on 21/02/2022 - 10:05)