The UK is expected to be the first country to have the world’s largest automated drone superhighway in the next two years.
Drones are planned to be employed for the project’s 164 miles Skyway project, which connects cities and towns, including Cambridge as well as Rugby.
It’s part of the PS273m budget specifically for the aerospace sector that will be announced by the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng on Monday.
The other projects involve drones that deliver post to Isles of Scilly and medication all over Scotland.
Mr Kwarteng will make the announcement during the Farnborough International Airshow – the first one to be held since the beginning of 2019.
He’ll say that the money will “help the industry to take advantage of the huge growth opportunities which are present as the globe moves to cleaner forms flight”.
Possible uses
Dave Pankhurst, director of drones at BT said to that the BBC the BBC that Skyway is all about increasing the number of trials taking place across the UK.
BT was one of the companies as part of the collaborative.
“This drone technology has been around for a long time however, it’s still in the early stages as it relates to being a an integral part of our society and also being an application that can be used,” he said.
“So we, for us it’s about taking a huge move towards that goal. It will open the door to an array of possibilities.”
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Skyway hopes to connect the airspace over Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry and Rugby in the mid-2024 timeframe, and it will be receiving more than PS12m.
The total amount of PS105.5m of government funding is specifically allocated to projects that deal with “integrated aviation systems and the latest vehicle technologies” that include drones and unmanned drones (UAVs) like drones.
This includes a plan for drones to be used to deliver regular delivery of medicines and mail in people living in the Isles of Scilly, and to distribute medicine throughout Scotland and possibly allowing certain cancer patients to receive treatment within their local communities.
Chris Forster, chief operating officer at the aviation technology firm Altitude Angel, said there many potential applications of the highway.
“Whether it’s a business that handles logistics, or even to the police, or medical delivery of vaccines and blood samples, there is an urgent need for access to the airspace,” said the official.
“We’ve completed a number of projects in Africa in which the road infrastructure did not work for vehicles on the ground, and also where the vaccinations were delivered via drones that were automated.”
Acceptance and safety
The technology makes use of sensors on the ground located along the highway that offer real-time information about where drones are located in the airspace.
This information is then analysed by an automated traffic management system an air traffic control for drones that guides them on their routes and prevents collisions.
Steve Wright, associate professor in aerospace engineering at UWE Bristol, said the major concern with crashes doesn’t arise while the drone’s flying and taking off, but rather when it is taking off or landing.
“It’s about the first and final part of the flight” the pilot explained. “The issue is the situation when you’re just 10 feet from the people. This is the part that I worry about.
“When it’s up in air, I can tell that it’s stable, and it’s not going to strike anything.
“People are considering the possibility of lowering packages from the sky, that is, you must should keep your drone far from the people. There are a lot of intelligent people creating drone flight plans that specifically keep away from areas of built-up.”
Mr. Pankhurst stated that the project was working with his organization, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure the safety of passengers.
“The manner in which they function as an institution is grounded in evidence,” he said. “Safety is the most important thing in this business However, it is important to note that there is no way to make it happen without the approval of the regulator. the deal.
“The CAA is part of the futuristic flight plans. It’s a involved in all of these initiatives, verifying the progress made and ensuring that they’re safe.”
He claimed that the research found how people will be more willing to take on drones if they are aware that they are providing an important service.
Simon Jude, senior lecturer at Cranfield University, said: “People’s beliefs and understanding could be altered if they understand what the UAV is actually employed for. If it’s for emergency medical assistance, you’re likely to be much more comfortable with the noise.
“So what happens when you receive several UAVs or an agricultural one in which you can have a variety of drones collecting data and saving it at the same time?
“I reside in a rural setting which is very peaceful and this could irritate me more than in the city or in an urban area with many other sounds.”
