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Advanced air mobility (AAM) has introduced a new mode of air transportation that can be integrated, providing services including air taxis, which can quickly transport people and cargo from one place to another. However, urban airspace is already congested with commercial air traffic, so there is a need for an efficient and autonomous airspace management system. Establishing structured air corridors and enabling UAS-to-UAS (U2U) communications are essential to achieve autonomy. Air corridors are designated airspace primarily reserved for AAM traffic, which will streamline the movement of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Meanwhile, U2U communications facilitate efficient collision avoidance strategies (CAS). A key aspect of this system is the development of CAS, which requires advanced communication protocols to monitor traffic patterns and detect potential collisions. This paper explores designing and implementing CAS using U2U communications. Use cases for U2U communications include merging, minimum separation, information relay, collaborative sensing, and rerouting. All these use cases demand real-time solutions for managing traffic conflicts involving multiple UAS. The CAS discussed in this paper utilizes U2U communications to mitigate the risk of collisions in the airspace and demonstrates how U2U communications can assist in efficient AAM traffic management through simulations.
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The Philosophy of UAS-to-UAS Communications
With an increase in the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and the inevitable integration of UAS in every imaginable industry, there is a need for enhanced situational awareness and information sharing. Traditional approaches are not sufficient for UAS as they are typically designed for human involvement in the decision-making process. Novel solutions based on variety of sensors are being developed for object detection and avoidance. This paper presents UAS-to-UAS (U2U) communication as a means to enhancing situational awareness and safety in the airspace. U2U communication is essential for enabling UAS to operate cooperatively, avoid collisions, and respond to dynamic scenarios in the airspace. As airspace is a shared resource regulated by federal agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States, certain questions, such as which aircraft has the right of way, need to be addressed unambiguously. This paper focuses on the philosophy of U2U communications using the five use-case scenarios proposed by standard organizations. The outcome of this research serves as a potential input and guidance for regulatory agencies.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2148178
- PAR ID:
- 10587917
- Publisher / Repository:
- International Academy, Research and Industry Association (IARIA)
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 978-1-68558-150-3
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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