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Urban air mobility is a rapidly growing field of research. While drones or unmanned aerial vehicles have been operated mainly in the private and military sector in the past, an increasing range of opportunities is opening up for commercial applications. A new multitude of passenger-carrying drone or air taxi concepts promises to fulfill the dream o...
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... In recent years we have seen large efforts from research, industry, and regulatory institutions to make the long-cherished dream of the flying cab come true [1][2][3]. Concepts to integrate aerial public transport into urban environments are called "urban air mobility" or more general "advanced air mobility" [4]. The implementation of such a new transport system involves many fields, from the ground infrastructure via the vehicle to a functional and safe traffic management system. ...
... The presented taxonomy is not restricted to visual-only experiences but includes all human senses[23]. Also, any technology other than head-mounted displays (HMDs) can be used to create the visual scene.2 The combiner can cause minor distortions and lowers the transmission of ambient light. ...
The acceptance of air taxi passengers is expected to be a relevant factor for the success of urban air mobility. The authors follow a user-centered design approach—which involves potential users as early as possible—to reach this goal. However, this requires a highly customizable simulation environment where different cabin arrangements and interface designs can be realized and evaluated quickly and cost-efficiently. At the same time, the experience must be immersive enough to give the users the feeling of a realistic flight. This article analyzes available mixed reality technologies and explains how these can be applied to create a simulator that fulfills these requirements. The focus is on head-mounted displays with video-see-through functionality, which allows the fusion of a customizable computer-generated world with a video stream of the real surroundings. The work includes the development of different approaches for the blending of real and virtual content as well as for the user interaction with mixed reality. The four resulting setups are then assessed in an experiment with twelve participants. Thereafter, the favored setup was improved and used for a human-in-the-loop study with 30 participants investigating passenger acceptance aspects of air taxi operations. Both studies confirm the usefulness of the mixed reality approach for the development of a future urban air mobility system. Regarding the various setups, users rated the completely virtual variant as the most immersive but favored the interaction with a physical input device over a virtual touch display. Further, the experiment emphasized the importance of precise alignment between real and virtual contents, which must be ensured by high-quality tracking systems and correct calibration of the video-see-through goggles.
... The air-traffic system has at least one potential to be expanded: The usage of the very low airspace for urban and short-haul flights (cf. [3], ch. 1). By introducing airtaxis for inter-and intra-city connections, congestion on the road and rail systems can be overcome. ...
... As these airtaxis do have the option to be electrically powered (cf. [3], ch. 4), reduced travel times in combination with environment-friendly transport are possible. ...
... DLR) in the project HorizonUAM (cf. [3].). Based on the example of Hamburg, efficient airway and landing spot design was achieved as shown in Fig. 1 (cf. ...
Facing the continued growth of cities, the introduction of urban-air mobility intends to reduce traffic congestion and improve the quality of services such as on-demand-transport, reduced travel times and increased connectivity. Nevertheless, its integration into existing air-traffic flows remains one of the biggest challenges ahead, especially once controlled airspace overlaps with urban-air mobility areas, such as at airport control zones. Here, air-traffic control needs to coordinate amobng urban-air mobility vehicles and conventional air traffic. In 2022, DLR conducted a human-in-the-loop simulation with ten air-traffic controllers to validate previously developed workflows for that coordination task applied for Hamburg airport. The simulation results revealed that additional urban-air mobility traffic increases controllers’ experienced workload up to 30% while slightly reducing their perceived situation awareness. Thus, a majority of controllers participating in the trials suggested to introduce an additional controller working position to exclusively control airtaxis and traffic following visual flight rules. This option is assessed as owning a high potential as cost intensive adaptions of regulations and procedures can be omitted. Nevertheless, the feasibility of this option is rather low due to the limited availability of endorsed human controllers.
This study proposes a concept for a digital controller taking the responsibility of guidance for airtaxis under visual flight rules traffic (abbr. VFR) within a control zone. This digital controller is named “UAM digital controller” (abbr. UDC) and based on algorithms calculating slots and trajectories which have been validated in previous DLR projects. The UDC coordinates with the human controller once a potential conflict is detected. Within the study, first the concept of the digital controller is defined, following existing work. As a second step, a theoretical evaluation based on an air-traffic control task model and an operational concept for airtaxi integration will analyze the task load reduction for the human controller. Last but not least, the expected energy saving of flight operations by the digital controllers will be assessed.
... AAM will unlock the vertical space and offer a fluid, on-demand mobility system that contrasts sharply with the fixed schedules of conventional aviation [12]. With urban air traffic management lagging behind VTOL aircraft development, research into seamless and safe airspace integration is a crucial challenge [13]. Additionally, the public perception of drones, which is most skeptical with regard to their commercial applications, highlights the importance of fostering a positive societal view of AAM technologies [14]. ...
This study presents a comprehensive exploration of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft within advanced air mobility (AAM), examining the crucial challenges of integrating these innovative technologies into transportation systems. AAM promises transformational social change by enhancing transportation energy efficiency, safety, and operational effectiveness. This research utilizes a methodical approach that juxtaposes a systematic review of patents with an extensive analysis of the academic literature to map the innovation landscape of VTOL technology. This dual analysis reveals a dynamic progression in VTOL advancements, highlighting significant strides in aerodynamic optimization, propulsion technology, and control systems. The novelty of this study lies in its dual-method approach, combining patent analysis with the academic literature to provide a holistic view of VTOL technological evolution. The patent analysis reveals that companies have been most productive on innovations relating to VTOL aircraft transition efficiency, control enhancement, and energy management. The literature review identifies key trends such as the rise in electric propulsion technologies and the integration of AI-driven control mechanisms. These results provide new engineering knowledge that can guide future VTOL development and policy formulation. The original contributions include a detailed mapping of VTOL innovation trends, identification of key technological advancements, and a predictive lens into future directions. These findings offer a valuable resource for aerospace engineers, policymakers, and urban planners. This study contributes a detailed assessment of both theoretical foundations and practical applications, fostering a holistic view of the challenges and innovations shaping the future of AAM. By connecting research and practical development, this study serves as a critical tool for strategic decision making and policy formulation towards advancing the integration of VTOL aircraft into sustainable urban transportation networks.
... Challenge Air traffic management (ATM) is a mandatory asset for the safe operation of any air vehicle in controlled airspace. This is especially true for potentially high numbers of future airspace users as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or air taxis [127]. While piloted air taxis could be operated similarly to helicopters today (e.g., under visual or instrument flight rules, VFR/IFR), remotely piloted or autonomous air taxis will require new ATM solutions to be operated in high numbers. ...
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a new air transportation system for passengers and cargo in urban environments, enabled by new technologies and integrated into multimodal transportation systems. The vision of UAM comprises the mass use in urban and suburban environments, complementing existing transportation systems and contributing to the decarbonization of the transport sector. Initial attempts to create a market for urban air transportation in the last century failed due to lack of profitability and community acceptance. Technological advances in numerous fields over the past few decades have led to a renewed interest in urban air transportation. UAM is expected to benefit users and to also have a positive impact on the economy by creating new markets and employment opportunities for manufacturing and operation of UAM vehicles and the construction of related ground infrastructure. However, there are also concerns about noise, safety and security, privacy and environmental impacts. Therefore, the UAM system needs to be designed carefully to become safe, affordable, accessible, environmentally friendly, economically viable and thus sustainable. This paper provides an overview of selected key research topics related to UAM and how the German Aerospace Center (DLR) contributed to this research in the project "HorizonUAM - Urban Air Mobility Research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR)". Selected research results on the topics of market potential and public acceptance, vehicle design (including battery degradation, onboard systems, cabin design, cabin simulation), infrastructure, operations (including U-space, safe autonomy, navigation, communication, cost modeling) and overall system modeling are briefly presented.
... The rapid growth of the UAV industry has created a psychological fear of the unknown among communities (Çetin et al., 2022). In this context, the integration of UAVs into existing systems under the UAM framework should consider not only technical aspects such as design, certification, operational aspects, and infrastructure requirements but also public acceptance (Schuchardt et al., 2023). ...
This study aims to examine the public perception of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the context of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and evaluate the widespread acceptance and applicability of this new technology. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 82 participants residing in the provinces of Istanbul and Ankara. The data obtained were analyzed using the thematic analysis method to categorize participants' views about UAVs in a specific structure. As a result of this analysis, participant views were categorized into three main themes: positive views, negative views, and neutral perspectives. Among the positive views, participants' expectations regarding the emergency use of UAVs stand out. In the negative views, concerns
about the security and potential risks of UAVs took the lead, while mixed thoughts about the impact of UAVs on society, legal regulations, and technological development formed the neutral category.
... The air tra c system has at least one potential to be expanded: The usage of the very low airspace for urban and short-haul ights (cf. [3], ch. 1). By introducing airtaxis for inter-and intra-city connections, congestion on the road and rail systems can be overcome. ...
... As these airtaxis do have the option to be electrically powered (cf. [3], ch. 4), reduced travel times in combination with environment-friendly transport are possible. ...
... DLR) in the project HorizonUAM (cf. [3]). Based on the example of Hamburg, e cient airway and landing spot design was achieved as shown in Figure 1 (cf. ...
Facing the continued growth of cities, the introduction of urban air mobility intends to reduce traffic congestion and improve the quality of services such as on-demand-transport, reduced travel times and increased connectivity. Nevertheless, its integration into existing air traffic flows remains one of the biggest challenges ahead, especially once controlled airspace overlaps with urban air mobility areas, such as at airport control zones. Here, air traffic control needs to coordinate among urban air mobility vehicles and conventional air traffic. In 2022, DLR conducted a human-in-the-loop simulation with ten air traffic controllers to validate previously developed workflows for that coordination task applied for Hamburg airport. The simulation results revealed that additional urban air mobility traffic increases controllers’ experienced workload up to 30% while slightly reducing their perceived situation awareness. Thus, a majority of controllers participating in the trials suggested to introduce an additional controller working position to exclusively control airtaxis and traffic following visual flight rules. This option is assessed as owning a high potential as cost intensive adaptions of regulations and procedures can be omitted. Nevertheless, the feasibility of this option is rather low due to the limited availability of endorsed human controllers. This study proposes a concept for a digital controller taking the responsibility of guidance for airtaxis under visual flight rules traffic (abbr. VFR) within a control zone. This digital controller is named “UAM digital controller” (abbr UDC) and based on algorithms calculating slots and trajectories which have been validated in previous DLR projects. The UDC coordinates with the human controller once a potential conflict is detected. Within the study, first the concept of the digital controller is defined, following existing work. As a second step, a theoretical evaluation based on an air traffic control task model and an operational concept for airtaxi integration will analyse the task load reduction for the human controller. Last but not least, the expected energy saving of flight operations by the digital controllers will be assessed.
... Recently the article in [5] suggests a layered system for managing airspace for UAM vehicles, with different layers defined based on the type of vehicle, level of automation, and altitude. The paper [6] discusses a variety of ATM projects in German Aerospace Center (DLR) initiatives. The paper [7] suggests a collision risk assessment model between a vehicle and obstacles. ...
This paper presents a continuation of the previous research on the interaction between a human traffic
manager and the UATMS. In particular, we focus on the automation of the process of handling a vertiport
outage, which was partially covered in the previous work. Once the manager reports that a vertiport is out of
service, which means landings for all corresponding agents are prohibited, the air traffic system automates
what it has to handle for this event. The entire process is simulated using Knowledge Representation and
Reasoning to describe the detailed process of reasoning about UAM operations. Moreover, two distinct
perspectives are respected for the human supervisor and the management system, and related ontologies
and rules are introduced. We believe that applying non-monotonic reasoning can verify each step of the
process and explain how the system works. After a short introduction with related works, this paper
continues with problem formulation, primary solution, discussion, and conclusions.
... According to Ref. 32, however, these methodologies currently do not suffice to cover safety assessments for the operational domain and previously mentioned operating conditions. Specific examples for operating challenges of UAS are for instance their restrictions to limited airspace, as described in Ref.33. Aircraft cannot enter forbidden airspace, which could, for instance, be avoided with geofencing. ...
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) refers to the transportation of people and goods using vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft in urban areas. It is seen as a potential solution for the increasing traffic congestion and transportation challenges in cities. The concept of UAM involves a network of skyports, where passengers can transit between ground-based transport, such as cars and trains, to VTOL aircraft. This has the potential to provide faster and more efficient transportation, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution. Despite its potential benefits, UAM faces various regulatory and technical challenges before it can be widely adopted and integrated into existing transportation systems. Due to the operating conditions for urban aircraft being fundamentally different from the existing mature ones such as passenger airplanes, important aspects for their development need to be considered. The research from this paper explores the major high-and low-level technology requirements for achieving airworthiness of urban aircraft. From the selection, five main requirements for successful aircraft operation in urban airspace have been condensed. These are safety, scalability, performance, cybersecurity, and interoperability. The research shows that the success of UAM relies on the development of innovative technologies to design and manufacture aerial vehicles that are safe, efficient, and sustainable. Regulators must also establish a clear legal framework for the certification of aerial vehicles and operators, ensuring safety, security, and interoperability.
... The model for the interface prototype exploits multimodal interaction features and implements technologies and functions such as Extended Reality (XR), aircraft identification and tracking labels, safety net visualisation, Conflicting ATC clearances alerts, in-air gesture interaction and speech recognition. Moreover, the future possible scenario of the Air Traffic Management comprising the integration of autonomous drones and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) that requires a closer integration between vehicle and infrastructure capabilities [19] are considered to be included in the proposed project. Within the project, different simulation scenarios integrating ATM and Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) are planned to be implemented and assessed in a laboratory environment to explore a wide set of possible solutions which are not yet available in the real world. ...
The aim of this study is to exploit digital technologies to develop and validate an innovative Human Machine Interface for Air Traffic Control Operations tailored based on actual visibility condition, specific phase of flight and different user working positions. The model for the interface prototype exploits multimodal interaction features and implements technologies and functions such as Extended Reality, aircraft identification and tracking labels, and safety net visualization. Moreover, it includes the future possible scenario of the Air Traffic Management comprising the integration of autonomous drones and Urban Air Mobility.
... The article [8] proposes a layered system approach in order to organize airspace for UAM vehicles, depending on the vehicle type, level of autonomy, and altitude. Various ATM programs within German Aerospace Center (DLR) initiatives are discussed by the authors in [9]. The authors in [10] propose an assessment model for vehicleobstacle collision hazards. ...
... loc (8,2,2,3,8). loc (9,2,2,3,9). loc(10, 2, 2, 3, 10). loc (11,2,2,3,11). ...
... loc (8,2,2,3,8). loc (9,2,2,3,9). loc(10, 2, 2, 3, 10). loc (11,2,2,3,11). ...
This paper introduces a novel approach to detour management in Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) using knowledge representation and reasoning. It aims to understand the complexities and requirements of UAM detours, enabling a method that quickly identifies safe and efficient routes in a carefully sampled environment. This method implemented in Answer Set Programming uses non-monotonic reasoning and a two-phase conversation between a human manager and the UATM system, considering factors like safety and potential impacts. The robustness and efficacy of the proposed method were validated through several queries from two simulation scenarios, contributing to the symbiosis of human knowledge and advanced AI techniques. The paper provides an introduction, citing relevant studies, problem formulation, solution, discussions, and concluding comments.
