NASA Carries Out Autonomous Drone Operations at Langley AAM High Density Vertiplex
NASA Langley Research Centre’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) High Density Vertiplex (HDV) Project has carried out autonomous drone operations as a live demonstration flight event for guests, reports a press release.
NASA Langley researchers are employing the HDV to develop the Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and AAM air traffic management technologies and processes required to enable autonomous air and drone operations.
As a NASA partner, Anra Technologies provided fusion capability for multiple surveillance sources integrated into its Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) system, which was then recreated in the HDV Operations Centre.
The release explains, “Anra has been working with NASA Langley researchers since 2021 on technologies that enable BVLOS operations for uncrewed aircraft systems such as drones and vertical take-off and land (VTOL) aircraft. Anra was tasked to fuse cooperative and non-cooperative surveillance sensor data into a correlated common operating picture.”
It continues, “These systems include three NASA radars (LSTAR V2, (2) GA-9120) in addition to another Skyler‑2 radar through a collaborative Space Act Agreement with Longbow Cooperative ADS‑B and FLARM sensors. Additionally, ANRA’s fused track data includes a path prediction feature that anticipates an aircraft’s route for additional deconfliction measures.”
Anra Technologies UTM System (Credit: Anra)
Lou Glaab, Acting Branch Head for the Aeronautic Systems Engineering Branch at NASA Langley, commented, “We want to get to the point in the UAM ecosystem where people will be able to generate revenue while the average person can afford to use it. To achieve that, you are talking high density with lots of traffic and aircraft. I’m sure some companies could fly VTOLs instead of helicopters, but that will only serve a very small percentage of the population.”
Using the same system deployed for numerous FAA projects, ANRA’s UTM platform provides core services such as strategic deconfliction and conformance monitoring, geo-zone creation and alerting for uncrewed aircraft, as well as for integrating its fused surveillance data stream into its UTM solution for reducing and mitigating air risk for BVLOS operations.
By adding surveillance, the Anra solution routes uncrewed aircraft to avoid risk of air collision. Its platform also integrates other supplemental data such as Remote ID, LAANC, weather and NOTAMs to provide a single common operating picture that helps manage and coordinate all uncrewed air traffic from the Langley HDV Operations Centre.
Amit Ganjoo, Founder and CEO of Anra, remarked, “I believe Langley offers a critical first node for expanding operations in the Hampton Roads region, and I’m thrilled that Anra is providing the engine to help power this innovation.”
The release continues, “The Anra capabilities installed in support of the HDV subproject are designed for scalability and have been developed using international standards that align with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) vision for integrating drones and VTOLs into the national airspace system.”
Amit Ganjoo (Credit: Anra)
The HDV Project will work toward developing a prototype vertiport automation system to assess scalable and efficient aircraft operations, flight and airspace management procedures, as well as interoperability of capabilities needed to support AAM operations, especially in an urban environment.
Glaab added, “We are performing rapid prototyping and assessment of a future UAM Ecosystem allowing a view of the future through integration of representative elements involved with onboard automation and automated airspace to develop a vertiport automation system. We have much more work ahead of us, but this simulation and flight test with subsequent demonstration proves that we took a big step forward for AAM.”
For more information
https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch/programs/iasp/aam/hdv
(Top Pic: NASA demonstrates autonomous drone operations at Langley vertiplex)
