Autonomous drones over 5G Networks

通过 5G 网络的自主无人机

• 批准号: 571006-2021
• 负责人: Mérida, WalterWR
• 金额: $ 16.51万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=760012
• 关键词: Autonomous; drones; over; 5G; Networks

The number of applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in commercial and civilian settings has exploded in recent years thanks to the rapid improvement of UAV's manufacturing technology and cost reduction. From aerial inspection to photography, precision agriculture, traffic control, search and rescue, package delivery, and telecommunications, UAVs are becoming an industry expected to grow up to 80 billion dollars in the next 10 years. However, automated operation beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and through ground-level obstacles in urban settings remains a barrier to the development of the market. One of the main challenges is the lack of reliable technology and regulations to ensure safe air traffic management for UAVs and their integration within general aviation standards. BVLOS missions require a reliable communication network, with maximum coverage, low latency, scalable and robust in case of interference and obstacles, areas where 5G is the strongest option. Our partner InDro Robotics (IR) is a Canadian company at the forefront of the deployment of UAVs to monitor and collect data and to provide a wide range of services to industries including fire and rescue. IR is one of only four companies in Canada with BVLOS certification. Canada Post, a crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada will provide access to delivery zones, package profiles, and travel requirements. Our partner Rogers Communications Canada Inc., a Canadian communications and media company. It has the largest 5G network in Canada, which extends to the University of British Columbia (UBC), the first campus in Canada to be fully outfitted with 5G wireless technology. Our partner Honeywell Aerospace (HA), a division of Honeywell International, is a manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, as well as a producer of auxiliary power units and other aviation products. Currently, they own the only fuel-cell-powered UAV business in North America. UBC is a growing city with more than 473 buildings, a population of 73,000 between students, faculty, and staff, and owns and operates its natural gas, electricity, and water facilities, which make it a perfect self-contained setting for piloting new technology deployments. The proposed research aims to develop a technology platform to test and benchmark best practices, policy recommendations, and regulations for the safe and reliable operation of automated UAVs during ground-based BVLOS missions, using 5G networks. This proposal has five specific objectives: i) Deploy an airspace awareness system and communications infrastructure for UAV operation BVLOS over a 5G network on a mini-city (UBC Vancouver Campus), ii) Remotely pilot BVLOS missions over 5G networks considering battery and fuel cell-powered UAVs, iii) Investigate state-of-the-art use cases based on current challenges for cooperative and non-cooperative UAV operation, iv) Investigate last-mile zero-emissions truck-UAV hybrid for parcel delivery considering battery and fuel cell-powered UAVs, and v) Perform research on key disruptive areas related to each one of the partners, activities, additionally contributing to the central objective of this proposal. Topics include an experimental comparison of current cellular embedded technologies for drones, a feasibility analysis on the state of the art technologies in cooperative and non-cooperative drone detection, a feasibility analysis on multimodal transportation systems for parcel delivery, and technology readiness and feasibility analysis on automated charging (for battery-powered drones) and refuelling stations (for fuel-cell-powered drones).

近年来，由于无人机制造技术的快速提高和成本的降低，无人机在商业和民用领域的应用数量呈爆炸式增长。从航空检查到摄影、精准农业、交通管制、搜救、包裹递送、通信，无人机正在成为未来10年将增长到800亿美元的产业。然而，在城市环境中，超视距（BVLOS）和通过地面障碍物的自动化操作仍然是市场发展的障碍。其中一个主要挑战是缺乏可靠的技术和法规来确保无人机的安全空中交通管理及其与通用航空标准的整合。BVLOS任务需要可靠的通信网络，具有最大的覆盖范围、低延迟、可扩展和在干扰和障碍物情况下的健壮性，在这些领域，5G是最强的选择。我们的合作伙伴InDro Robotics （IR）是一家加拿大公司，在部署无人机监控和收集数据方面处于领先地位，并为包括消防和救援在内的行业提供广泛的服务。IR是加拿大仅有的四家获得BVLOS认证的公司之一。加拿大邮政是加拿大的主要邮政运营商，它将提供对交付区域、包裹概况和旅行要求的访问。我们的合作伙伴Rogers Communications Canada Inc.，一家加拿大通信和媒体公司。它拥有加拿大最大的5G网络，延伸到英属哥伦比亚大学（UBC），这是加拿大第一个完全配备5G无线技术的校园。我们的合作伙伴霍尼韦尔航空航天公司（HA）是霍尼韦尔国际公司的一个部门，是一家飞机发动机和航空电子设备制造商，以及辅助动力装置和其他航空产品的生产商。目前，他们拥有北美唯一的燃料电池驱动无人机业务。UBC是一个不断发展的城市，拥有超过473座建筑，学生，教师和工作人员之间的人口为73,000人，拥有并运营其天然气，电力和水设施，这使其成为试点新技术部署的完美独立环境。拟议的研究旨在开发一个技术平台，以测试和基准最佳实践、政策建议和法规，以便在使用5G网络的地面BVLOS任务中安全可靠地运行自动无人机。这项建议有五个具体目标：i)在迷你城市（UBC温哥华校区）的5G网络上部署无人机操作BVLOS的空域感知系统和通信基础设施，ii)考虑电池和燃料电池驱动的无人机，在5G网络上远程驾驶BVLOS任务，iii)基于当前合作和非合作无人机操作的挑战，调查最先进的用例。iv)考虑电池和燃料电池驱动的无人机，研究最后一英里零排放卡车-无人机混合动力包裹递送，v)对与每个合作伙伴活动相关的关键破坏性领域进行研究，另外为本提案的中心目标做出贡献。主题包括当前无人机蜂窝嵌入式技术的实验比较，合作和非合作无人机检测技术现状的可行性分析，包裹递送多式联运系统的可行性分析，以及自动充电（用于电池供电的无人机）和加油站（用于燃料电池供电的无人机）的技术准备和可行性分析。