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

预计到2030年，英国多个行业将有超过92万架无人机投入使用，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2万多名获得CAA批准的无人机飞行员，美国有20多万名获得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线内的手动控制转向视线外的自动设备，运营和监管重点将从飞行控制转移到飞行规划和管理。必须将风险降至最低，飞行员将需要针对日益杂乱的环境进行全面的危险意识和飞行管理培训。目前的培训计划是由教员指导、安排和面对面进行的。它们不利用飞行员的停机时间(例如，在恶劣天气期间)，而且行动不便的人可能无法接近它们。在线课程的参与度和知识留存率很低，因为它们缺乏实用、实践和经验的元素。我们将开发DroneOps VR，这是一种首创的沉浸式培训计划，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使用案例，包括天气和杂乱(例如人、动物、车辆)等动态元素。模拟将包含在一个培训计划中，使用视频、评估和教员指导的简报会议来加强学习。在项目期间，将与利益攸关方密切合作开发内容，以告知要求、提供反馈并使最终用户及早参与。将编写材料，以提高培训质量、可及性和效率。

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.