Why is the Demand for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Traffic Management Systems Constantly Increasing?

Ever given a thought to what skies would look like in the next few decades? Imagine stepping into your balcony and seeing drones buzzing all around for various purposes, such as delivering food and goods.

Till today, more than 873,000 drones have been registered in the U.S., and this number is constantly increasing. Many have a common question revolving around their mind, how does such a massive change in the airspace sector impact the safety and lives of humans.

To know the answer, let’s start with exploring the unmanned aerial system traffic management (UTM) system and how it works.

UAS Traffic Management System

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FFA), UTM is defined as a system used for air traffic management for uncontrolled airspace. The UTM system helps to enable several beyond visual lines of sight (BVLOS) drone operations at much lower altitudes (under 400 feet) in uncontrolled and controlled airspace.

UTM developments will help airspace experts to identify the services and responsibilities, exchange data, check software functions, and allow effectively management of drone operations at low altitudes in uncontrolled airspace.

The primary motive behind developing the UTM is to provide better safety levels to the drones and let them fly freely at low altitudes without creating problems for other airspace objects such as airplanes.

Why is a UAS traffic management (UTM) system required?

According to FFA, the number of commercial and recreational drones in the U.S. alone is predicted to touch 3 million by the end of 2023.

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When there is such a massive presence of drones supporting applications such as infrastructure inspections and package deliveries, the chances of the present UTM system getting overburdened beyond its limit are much higher.

The real challenge of drone operators is the high requirements of information compared to traditional pilots for secure and safe flight.

Also, aircraft operating at an altitude below 400 feet can lead to several bigger problems for the common public if the required information is not passed to them at the right time.

It means the drones operating at the lower altitude require additional other data than air traffic information, such as:

• Weather information such as temperature and win predictions
• Environmental information such as the availability of constructions cranes, schools, and stadiums
• Drone information such as weight capacity, maintenance requirements, and battery life

Other than the above-mentioned information, there is also a high demand for drone operating systems that can interpret and monitor all the above data and allow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to make better decisions while flying. Advanced UTM can be a solution to all the above and help to provide the required information to multiple drones at one time.

Industry Overview of UAS Traffic Management (UTM) System

The UTM system is designed with a primary vision to improve the airspace traffic and allow several drone applications without facing any challenges in the airspace (as discussed earlier in the article).

In the last few decades, UAVs have witnessed high advancements in their present system and have become one of the most powerful tools.

Earlier, the use of UAVs was only limited to the defense sector, but today it is used for several other applications such as package delivery and photography.

Due to the increasing applications of UAVs, the demand for the UAS traffic management system (UTM) market has also grown tremendously over the last few decades.

According to the UAS traffic management (UTM) system market report, the key places in the UTM system market are DJI, Dedrone, OneSky, SkyWARD, and Thales, among others.

Who are the Main Participants of UAS Traffic Management (UTM)?

• FAA: The primary role of the FAA is to help in providing a regulatory framework for the applications of UAS and continuous data such as maps and flight restrictions to the uncontrolled airspace.
• Operators: They are the main person behind the overall management, execution, and planning of the UAS systems operations.
• Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC): RPIC is the responsible individual who may serve as the pilot as well as operator during the flight. Also, they are responsible for checking drone performance and saving them hazardous conditions during the flight.

Limitation of Drone Operation in BVLOS

Governments have set several conditions for operating drones in the BVLOS, which are mandatory to be followed.

Following are the limitation of operating drones in BVLOS:

• Privacy is the major hurdle for drones operating in the BVLOS. People do not want any unregulated drones to fly over their properties.
• The absence of the required infrastructures that support drone operation in BVLOS is a challenge.
• The technical capabilities of drones for operating over highly populated areas are still in the stage of development.

Conclusion

The need for a UTM system has constantly increased over the last few decades due to rising drone operations and numbers. In the coming years, the role of UTM systems will become even more critical in handling drone operations.