DroneOps VR - Virtual Reality Training for Drone Hazard Awareness and Flight Planning

预计到2030年，英国将有超过92万架无人机在各个行业投入使用，为英国经济贡献450亿美元，占GDP的1.6%。要驾驶无人机，飞行员必须获得正式许可--实际上是执照--以确保他们遵守安全和监管要求。目前，英国有超过20，000名无人机CAA批准的飞行员，美国有超过200，000名FAA批准的飞行员，预计到2023年，这一数字将翻一番。随着无人机技术从视觉视线（VLOS）内的手动控制转向视觉视线（BVLOS）外的自主设备，运营和监管重点将从飞行控制转向飞行规划和管理。风险必须最小化，飞行员需要全面的危险意识和飞行管理培训，以适应日益混乱的环境。目前的培训计划由飞行员主导，安排时间并面对面进行。它们不利用飞行员停机时间（例如在恶劣天气期间），并且可能对行动不便的人无法访问。在线课程的参与度和知识保留率很差，因为它们缺乏实用、动手和体验的元素。我们将开发DroneOps VR，这是一个首创的沉浸式培训计划，旨在向飞行员传授有效的危险评估、飞行规划和飞行管理技能。它以一系列高度逼真的模拟环境为中心，每个环境都嵌入了各种危险。将开发一系列场景来复制可能的无人机用例，包括天气和混乱（例如人，动物，车辆）等动态元素。模拟将被纳入培训计划，使用视频，评估和飞行员主导的简报会来加强学习。在项目期间，将与利益攸关方密切合作编写内容，以告知需求，提供反馈，并促进最终用户的早期参与。将编制材料，以提高培训质量、可获得性和效率。

Over 920,000 drones are expected to be in use in the UK by 2030 across a range of sectors, contributing $45b to the UK economy, 1.6% of GDP. To fly drones pilots must have formal permission - effectively a licence - to ensure they comply with safety and regulatory requirements. There are currently over 20,000 drone CAA approved pilots in the UK and more 200,000 FAA approved pilots in the USA, numbers forecast to double by 2023\.As drone technology moves from manual control within visual line of sight (VLOS) to autonomous devices beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), operational and regulatory focus will move from flight control to flight planning and management. Risk must be minimised and pilots will require comprehensive hazard awareness and flight management training for increasingly cluttered environments.Currently training programmes are instructor-led, scheduled and delivered face-to-face. They don't take advantage of pilot downtime (e.g. during adverse weather) and may be inaccessible for people with mobility limitations. Engagement and knowledge retention from online courses is poor because they lack practical, hands-on, experiential elements.We will develop DroneOps VR, a first-of-a-kind immersive training programme to teach pilots effective hazard assessment, flight planning and flight management skills. It is centred on a series of highly realistic, simulated environments, each with various hazards embedded. A range of scenarios will be developed to replicate likely drone use cases, including dynamic elements such as weather and clutter (e.g people, animals, vehicles).The simulation will be wrapped in a training programme using videos, assessments and instructor-led briefing sessions to enhance learning. Content will be developed closely with stakeholders during the project to inform requirements, provide feedback and for early end-user engagement. Material will be developed to enhance training quality, accessibility and efficiency.