Unleash live is pleased to announce its collaboration with AstraUTM to integrate their Un-crewed Traffic Management platform onto Unleash live’s drone management system. With the aim of ensuring safer and more efficient drone operations in Australia, and worldwide, this partnership will enable users seamless integration of AstraUTM’s airspace management capabilities with Unleash live’s drone management software.
This collaboration follows the successful partnership between SkyLink UAS, providers of managed services for enterprise beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, and AstraUTM, who have been working for the past 12 months on implementation of the AstraUTM platform in compliance with Australian rules and regulations, bringing a full range of SAAS based UTM subscription plans to the market.
Users of Unleash live’s platform will be able to leverage AstraUTM’s real-time airspace data and un-crewed traffic management tools, facilitating safe and compliant drone operations, providing customers with the most advanced drone management solutions.
Autofly integrates with AstraUTM to streamline airspace management for drone operators
Bringing advanced air traffic management to the expanding world of drones
The partnership between Unleash live and AstraUTM comes at a crucial time, as the use of drones in commercial and recreational activities continues to rise rapidly. With this growth comes the need for efficient air traffic management systems that can ensure the safe integration of drones into the airspace. This is where AstraUTM’s expertise comes in, as they specialize in developing advanced air traffic management solutions. By collaborating with Unleash live, a visual analytics, and collaboration platform for drone operations, AstraUTM can incorporate this technology into their solutions to provide even more accurate and comprehensive situational awareness for air traffic controllers. This partnership has the potential to significantly enhance the safety and efficiency of the growing drone industry.
Busy skies - and getting busier
Many of us are familiar with the role of Airport Traffic Management (ATM), which involves overseeing the arrival and departure of aircraft. The scale of this responsibility is immense, particularly for busy airports where hundreds of flights may be arriving or departing within an hour. For instance, in the US alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) handles an average of about 45,000 daily flights. Meanwhile, globally, approximately 100,000 flights take off and land every day, underscoring the enormous scale and complexity of air traffic management.
Thousands of daily flights mean operational efficiency is front of mind for airport operators
The use of drones and the development of drone technology has experienced a significant surge in recent years, demonstrating their versatility and value in numerous applications. Drones are being utilized in various industries such as energy and resources such as power lines, wind turbines, smart cities, and agriculture, etc. According to research conducted by the Australian Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA), along with various research organizations, a 10% net productivity gain due to the use of drone technologies could result in a long-term increase in the national real gross domestic product (GDP) of 0.022%, which is approximately A$46 million in present-dollar terms.
With the rapid increase in use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) including drones, has led governments to impose regulations for safe operation in the airspace. To facilitate the safe and efficient management of UAV traffic, Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) has emerged as a crucial tool. UTM’s movements, ensuring their safe integration into the airspace while minimizing the risks to other aircraft and people on the ground.
The revision aims to convey a clearer and more concise explanation of the need for UAV regulations and the role of UTM in facilitating their safe integration into the airspace.
"10% net productivity gain due to the use of drone technologies could result in a long-run increase in the national real gross domestic product (GDP) of 0.022%, or A$460 million in present-dollar terms."
Source: imoveaustralia.com
The differences between UTM and ATM
The conventional air traffic management (ATM) system relies on a centralized authority such as the FAA, CASA, or EASA to ensure safe and accessible airspace operations. In contrast, Un-crewed Traffic Management (UTM) delegates some of that authority to other entities to provide similar services. UTM uses a modern, machine-centric, and federated approach to manage airspace, which allows for distributed management by various entities working collaboratively to maintain a secure and accessible environment. This approach to airspace management enables more efficient and flexible use of airspace, particularly for drones and other un-crewed aerial vehicles.
Source: skybrary.aero
According to NASA, in 2021, more than 873,000 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) are registered to fly in the United States and the number is increasing exponentially. NASA defines UTM as “Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) is a collaborative, automated, and federated airspace management approach that enables safe, efficient, and equitable small UAS operations at scale. ”
Proper regulation of air traffic management systems worldwide can lead to a significant increase in commercial applications for aircraft in metropolitan and regional airspaces. Once regulatory frameworks are in place, airspace utilization can be optimized, allowing for a higher volume of aircraft movement while maintaining safety and efficiency.
Functions of UTM
UTM allows for the sharing of critical information among drone operators, organizations managing data sharing, and aviation authorities. Here are some of the functions of UTM:
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Shares information about airspace events, such as weather warnings, and specifics about other flights in the vicinity.
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Enables users to share information among themselves, aviation authorities, and public safety entities.
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Allows drone pilots to execute flight plans for specific missions in low-altitude airspace.
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Determines how to facilitate drone operations securely, whether singularly or in multiples, within or beyond the pilot’s visual range.
UTM roles in BVLOS
BVLOS flights refer to drone operations that occur beyond the operator’s line of sight, allowing for longer distances to be covered and increased efficiency in many commercial applications. However, with the increased distance comes the need for more stringent safety measures and cost-effective methods. Effective traffic management is especially critical in BVLOS operations. Regulations regarding BVLOS and Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) vary between countries, with Australia, Canada, the US, and some European nations having their unique classifications, as shown in the following table.
Source: droneii.com
Autofly for Remote Operations
The Unleash live remote operations solution “Autofly” allows asset owners and operators to gain instant oversight of inspections, security, or situational awareness from flights conducted with a UAV. The solution connects the remote command centre with the field operator through a secure ultra-low latency two-way data link facilitating the remote operation of UAVs. This allows operations to be planned in the comfort of the office and pushed to the field device reducing risk and ensuring optimal data capture. The pre-planned missions and asset-specific Smart Inspect missions are saved on your secure cloud account allowing them to be executed at a moment’s notice for repeatable, high-quality inspections at scale.
Some features of Autofly include:
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Zero latency live streaming
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Remote drone control
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Media management in Media Drive
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Dropping pins
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Executing mission
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And many, more
Conclusion
In conclusion, the partnership between Unleash live and AstraUTM to integrate their un-crewed traffic management platform onto Unleash live’s drone management system is an essential step towards safer and more efficient drone operations in Australia. The growth of drones in commercial and recreational activities has increased the need for efficient air traffic management systems that can ensure the safe integration of drones into the airspace. UTM has emerged as a crucial tool to facilitate the safe and efficient management of UAV traffic. UTM uses a modern, machine-centric, and federated approach to manage airspace, which allows for distributed management by various entities working collaboratively to maintain a secure and accessible environment. Effective traffic management is critical in BVLOS operations, where the need for more stringent safety measures is essential. With the implementation of proper regulation of air traffic management systems worldwide, airspace utilization can be optimized, allowing for a higher volume of aircraft movement while maintaining safety and efficiency.
