scholarly journals Reporting and Investigation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Accidents and Serious Incidents. Regulatory Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Jan Kasprzyk ◽  
Anna Konert
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Aircraft Accidents ◽  
Subsequent Investigation ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Regulatory Perspective ◽  
Aircraft System ◽  
Aviation Operations ◽  
Investigative Process ◽  
Investigation Process

AbstractNaturally, the ever-growing number of drone operations conducted worldwide carries with it an increase in the number of safety-related incidents and occurrences. The reporting and subsequent investigation of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) accidents and serious incidents seems like a proven solution towards improving operational safety. Such procedures also stem from the fact that UAS are of recognized as aircraft – and aircraft accidents and serious incidents are subject to obligatory investigation. From a technical perspective, a key issue concerns discrepancies in the investigation process as there are significant differences between manned and unmanned aviation operations. From a regulatory perspective, one key question is to what extent should it be obligatory to conduct independent technical investigation of occurrences involving UAS? Such occurrences are not only accidents and serious incidents that involve both UAS and manned aircraft, where “traditional” rules of conducting a full and independent technical investigation apply – the majority occurrences involve only UAS that were either destroyed, damaged or acted as a hazard to third parties. The method of study comprised of content analysis of existing legislation. Current doctrines were confronted with existing regulations, documents, materials, safety reports and statistics. Results of the study shows that the extension of regulations created for manned aviation accident reporting and investigation may not be enough, and certain improvements are necessary, e.g. to standardize the reporting of occurrences and the criteria to conduct a formal accidents and serious incidents investigation. It is also reasonable to take actions aimed at raising awareness among UAS users of the need to report accidents and serious incidents, as well as engage them in the investigative process. The lack of standardization in this field has resulted in the lack of data that is “good enough” to indicate the main causes and factors that contribute to UAS accidents.

scholarly journals UAS Safety Operation – Legal Issues on Reporting UAS Incidents

2021 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Konert ◽  
Piotr Kasprzyk
Keyword(s):  
Practical Problem ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Legal Issues ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Aircraft Material ◽  
Aircraft System ◽  
National Perspective ◽  
Safety Operation ◽  
Investigative Process ◽  
Legal Consequences

AbstractIntroduction. This paper examines regulations which govern procedures for reporting incidents other than accidents or serious incidents related to unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations. The regulations are discussed in the context of available data and the paper included an analysis of them from both a European and national perspective. The goal of the paper is to provide a series of recommendations with regard to the procedures for reporting and analyzing UAS incidents in order to improve the safe integration of unmanned and manned aviation. This article also explores the legal consequences that arise from the midair collision between a UAS and a manned aircraft. Material and methods: The method of study comprises a content analysis of existing legislations. The current doctrine was confronted with existing regulations, documents and materials. Results: The results of the study show that there is a practical problem of objectively identifying operators of a UAS as well as in defining what exactly constitutes an “incident”. It can be reasonably concluded that reporting and analyzing UAS-related incidents allows for the assessment and development of strategies for integrating manned and unmanned aviation. It is worth mentioning that drones and UAS technology requires refinement, especially in technological terms. It is reasonable to take action aimed at raising awareness amongst UAS users of the need to report incidents, as well as engaging UAS users in the investigative process which follows such occurrences.

Coexistence Analysis of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems at Low Altitudes

Frequenz ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (11-12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuzhe Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Rate Model ◽  
System Communication ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Communication Models ◽  
Ratio Criterion ◽  
Coverage Model ◽  
Aircraft System ◽  
Frequency Distance

AbstractThe requirement of unmanned aircraft systems in civil areas is growing. However, provisioning of flight efficiency and safety of unmanned aircraft has critical requirements on wireless communication spectrum resources. Current researches mainly focus on spectrum availability. In this paper, the unmanned aircraft system communication models, including the coverage model and data rate model, and two coexistence analysis procedures, i. e. the interference and noise ratio criterion and frequency-distance-direction criterion, are proposed to analyze spectrum requirements and interference results of the civil unmanned aircraft systems at low altitudes. In addition, explicit explanations are provided. The proposed coexistence analysis criteria are applied to assess unmanned aircraft systems’ uplink and downlink interference performances and to support corresponding spectrum planning. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed assessments and analysis procedures satisfy requirements of flexible spectrum accessing and safe coexistence among multiple unmanned aircraft systems.

Minimizing Human Factors Mishaps in Unmanned Aircraft Systems

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qaisar R. (“Raza”) Waraich ◽  
Thomas A. Mazzuchi ◽  
Shahram Sarkani ◽  
David F. Rico
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Engineering Standards ◽  
General Purpose Computer ◽  
Aircraft System ◽  
Purpose Computer

Unmanned aircraft system (UAS) mishaps attributable to lack of attention to human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) science in their ground control stations (GCSes) are alarmingly high, and UAS-specific HF/E engineering standards are years away from development. The ANSI/HFES 100-2007 human factors standard is proposed as a specification for the design of UASes because of the similarity between general-purpose computer workstations and GCSes. Data were collected from 20 UASes to determine the applicability of commercial standards to GCS designs. Analysis shows that general-purpose computer workstations and UAS GCSes are up to 98% similar. Therefore, our findings suggest that the application of commercial human factors standards may be a good solution for minimizing UAS mishaps.

Magnetic interference testing method for an electric fixed-wing unmanned aircraft system (UAS)

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Tuck ◽  
C. Samson ◽  
J. Laliberté ◽  
M. Wells ◽  
F. Bélanger
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Magnetic Intensity ◽  
Testing Method ◽  
Interference Level ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Aircraft System ◽  
Control Surfaces

One of the barriers preventing unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) from having a larger presence in the geophysical magnetic surveying industry is the magnetic interference generated by the UAS and its impact on the quality of the recorded data. Detailed characterization of interference effects is therefore needed before remedial solutions can be proposed. A method for characterizing magnetic interference is demonstrated for a 21 kg, 3.7 m wingspan, 6 kW electric fixed-wing UAS purposely built for magnetic surveying. It involves mapping the spatial variations of the total magnetic intensity resulting from the interference sources on the UAS. Dynamic tests showed that the motor should be engaged and the aircraft control surfaces levelled prior to mapping. Experimental results reveal that the two strongest sources of magnetic interference are the cables connecting the motor to the batteries, and the servos. Combining three factors to assess the level of magnetic interference — the total magnetic intensity, 4th difference and vertical magnetic gradient — an index overlay shows that the magnetic sensor(s) should be located at least 50 cm away from the wingtips or tail to ensure an interference level of <2 nT, a 4th difference of <0.05 nT, and a gradient of <10 nT/m.

PROSPECTIVE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING OF THE CENTER FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS OF EMERCOM OF RUSSIA

2021 ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
Инесса Николаевна Исавнина ◽  
Юрий Николаевич Осипов ◽  
Владимир Иванович Ершов ◽  
Надежда Германовна Каменских
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft System ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Departmental Level ◽  
Aircraft System ◽  
Operating Units

Развитие системы беспилотной авиации, независимо от ее предназначения и структурной принадлежности, предполагает согласованные усилия заинтересованных лиц (руководства, ученых и конструкторов, специалистов испытательных комплексов, преподавателей, инструкторов теоретического и практического обучения операторов управления летательными аппаратами и их полезными нагрузками) по совершенствованию технических характеристик и функционала беспилотных воздушных судов, а также по формированию соответствующих компетенций у персонала эксплуатирующих подразделений. Очевидным является тот факт, что все перечисленные мероприятия наиболее полно могут быть реализованы в рамках функционирования специальных центров развития беспилотных авиационных систем государственного или ведомственного уровня. The development of unmanned aircraft system, regardless of its purpose and structural affiliation, involves the concerted efforts of stakeholders (management, scientists and designers, specialists of test complexes, tutors, as well as theoretical and practical instructors for operators of aircraft and their payloads control) to improve the technical characteristics and functionality of unmanned aircraft, as well as to create appropriate competencies among the personnel of operating units. It is obvious that all these measures can be fully implemented within the framework of special centers for unmanned aircraft systems of state or departmental level.

Evaluation of design criteria for mini unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) applications

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh P.S. ◽  
Muruga Lal Jeyan J.V.
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Design Criteria ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Military Applications ◽  
Network Centric Operations ◽  
Aircraft System ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Critical Aspects

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the factors that dictate the design of a mini unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses various dimensions that dictate the design criteria for a mini UAS. Findings Compared to civil applications, design of mini UAS for military application is much more challenging owing to combat restrictions. Topics related to civil applications dominate research in the field of mini UAS, with over 60% of the papers accounting for civil applications. Limited published articles related to military applications are available. While 86% of the in-production mini UAS is primarily meant for military applications, only 9% of the research is devoted to military applications of mini UAS. Most mini UAS, although designed primarily for military applications, are also extensively used for various civil applications. Critical aspects that influence the employment of mini UAS in the tactical battlespace are area of interest, type of operation, type of operational tasks, terrain and network-centric operations. All these factors collectively impact the design of a mini UAS. Practical implications According to various studies, mini UAS is the fastest growing segment amongst all classes of UAS. This paper will provide vital inputs to the designers and manufacturers of mini UAS for both military and civil applications. Social implications Mini UAS are in the list of “must-have” for modern militaries across the world and is also growing exponentially in the civil domain. Therefore, it is important to understand the critical factors that dictate the design of mini UAS. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such an analysis is not available in the open domain.

Measuring Shared Mental Models in Unmanned Aircraft Systems

2015 ◽  
pp. 1188-1196
Author(s):  
Rosemarie Reynolds ◽  
Alex J. Mirot ◽  
Prince D. Nudze
Keyword(s):  
Mental Models ◽  
Mental Model ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Shared Mental Models ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft System ◽  
Team Coordination ◽  
Shared Mental Model ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Aircraft System

Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are becoming part of the aviation landscape, taking on the dirty, dangerous, or dull operations traditionally completed by military and specialized civil aircraft. These operations often require high levels of team coordination. Team coordination is facilitated when team members share a mental model of group tasks and the individual crewmember's responsibilities in the performance of these tasks. The shared mental model is therefore critical for unmanned aircraft system teams to complete their operational objectives. The ability to forge a shared mental model is complicated by the diverse and often distributed nature of unmanned aircraft system teams. Before strategies can be developed to create accurate shared mental models, researchers must effectively measure shared mental models. This chapter explores the measurement of shared mental models in UASs.

A neurobiologically-inspired intelligent trajectory tracking control for unmanned aircraft systems with uncertain system dynamics and disturbance

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Jafari ◽  
Hao Xu ◽  
Luis Rodolfo Garcia Carrillo
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Uncertain System ◽  
Emotional Learning ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft System ◽  
Trajectory Tracking Control ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Aircraft System

In this paper, a novel neurobiologically-inspired intelligent tracking controller is developed and implemented for unmanned aircraft systems in the presence of uncertain system dynamics and disturbance. The methodology adopted, known as Brain Emotional Learning Based Intelligent Controller (BELBIC), is based on a novel computational model of emotional learning within brain limbic systems in mammals. Compared to conventional model-based control methods, BELBICs are more suitable for practical unmanned aircraft systems since they can maintain the real-time unmanned aircraft system performance without known system dynamics and disturbance. Furthermore, the learning capability and low computational complexity of BELBIC mean that it is very promising for implementation in complex real-time applications. Moreover, we proved that our proposed methodology guarantees convergence. To evaluate the practical performance of our proposed design, BELBIC has been implemented into a benchmark unmanned aircraft system. Numerical and experimental results demonstrated the applicability and satisfactory performance of the proposed BELBIC-inspired design.

Sound power level and sound pressure level characterization of a small unmanned aircraft system during flight operations

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umberto Papa ◽  
Gino Iannace ◽  
Giuseppe Del Core ◽  
Giovanna Giordano
Keyword(s):  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Power Level ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Sound Power ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft System ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Sound Power Level ◽  
Flight Operations ◽  
Aircraft System

Unmanned aerial vehicles, actually Federal Aviation Administration calls them unmanned aircraft systems, have aroused a great deal for many applications in the scientific, civil, and military sectors. The goal of this article is to evaluate the acoustic emissions of some small unmanned aircraft systems during normal flight operations (e.g. take off, landing, turning, and hovering) related to electric engines and propellers. This analysis will be useful for developing a system (unmanned aircraft systems Tracking and Reconnaissance System), which will be able to locate a small unmanned aircraft system using its sound power level, in a prefixed area. The investigation on sound power levels and sound pressure level is based on EN ISO 3745, which specifies measurement method. The acoustic measurements were carried out in an anechoic room, and the results of each unmanned aircraft system have been presented and discussed.

scholarly journals Wildland Fire Tree Mortality Mapping from Hyperspatial Imagery Using Machine Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Dale A. Hamilton ◽  
Kamden L. Brothers ◽  
Samuel D. Jones ◽  
Jason Colwell ◽  
Jacob Winters
Keyword(s):  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
Crown Fire ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Ground Truthing ◽  
Aircraft System

The use of imagery from small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) has enabled the production of more accurate data about the effects of wildland fire, enabling land managers to make more informed decisions. The ability to detect trees in hyperspatial imagery enables the calculation of canopy cover. A comparison of hyperspatial post-fire canopy cover and pre-fire canopy cover from sources such as the LANDFIRE project enables the calculation of tree mortality, which is a major indicator of burn severity. A mask region-based convolutional neural network was trained to classify trees as groups of pixels from a hyperspatial orthomosaic acquired with a small unmanned aircraft system. The tree classification is summarized at 30 m, resulting in a canopy cover raster. A post-fire canopy cover is then compared to LANDFIRE canopy cover preceding the fire, calculating how much the canopy was reduced due to the fire. Canopy reduction allows the mapping of burn severity while also identifying where surface, passive crown, and active crown fire occurred within the burn perimeter. Canopy cover mapped through this effort was lower than the LANDFIRE Canopy Cover product, which literature indicated is typically over reported. Assessment of canopy reduction mapping on a wildland fire reflects observations made both from ground truthing efforts as well as observations made of the associated hyperspatial sUAS orthomosaic.

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