Europe is Preparing for Drone Delivery Revolution

Europe is Preparing for Drone Delivery Revolution

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Deliveries through drones have many advantages, it can reduce the time, cost and energy needed for everyday deliveries. However, for the purpose, they need to be managed safely so that they do not clash with one another or be a hindrance in air traffic.
A consortium of companies in Europe is testing their unmanned aviation technology through a project called SAFIR which is intended to help European authorities formulate a set of rules for the commercial uses of drones.
SAFIR (Safe and Flexible Integration of Initial U-space Services in a Real Environment) is a consortium with 13 public and private organizations. The project will carry out multiple studies and demonstrations for drone operations that are viable, robust and ready-to-implement throughout Europe. These demonstrations will include surveillance flights in the Port of Antwerp, parcel delivery, medical inter-hospital transport, high voltage
line mapping and pylon inspection. Further, the use of telecommunication network technology for data communication with both manned aircraft and other unmanned aircraft will be assessed, according to geospatialworld.net.
A radar system will be deployed which will be capable of monitoring cooperative and non-cooperative drones. Through the project 10 drones with different purposes, applications and IT systems will be tested to make sure that different drone systems can coexist while in flight, they can account their surrounding so that they do not collide and hurt people.
A live demonstration is planned over Antwerp, Belgium, provided that they pass a series of safety and certification tests and if live demonstration is successful then a signal to businesses and consumers alike will be given to go ahead.
The demonstration is designed to help SESAR JU, the entity responsible for coordinating all EU research and development activity in Air Traffic Management, contribute to the European Commission’s U-space vision of ensuring safe and secure access to airspace for drones.
U-Space is an enabling European framework relying on a high level of digitalization and automation of functions and specific procedures designed to support safe, efficient and secure access to airspace for large numbers of drones, while addressing an appropriate interface with manned aviation.
When fully deployed, a wide range of drone missions that are currently being restricted will be possible thanks to a sustainable and robust European ecosystem that is globally interoperable. The timing for U-space is critical given the speed at which the market is growing. The aim is to have foundation U-space services in place by 2019.