Unifly, a leading provider of UAS Traffic Management (UTM) solutions, is proud to announce its participation as an industry partner in a ground-breaking project initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in collaboration with the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) and partner universities. ASSURE, comprised of 29 of the world’s leading research institutions and more than a hundred leading industry and government partners with a total funding of approximately $90 million is spearheading the project “SUAS Well Clear Requirements”, referred to as A68. This project aims to validate separation criteria for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) operations, a crucial aspect of ensuring the safety and integration of drones into the airspace.
In collaboration with the UAS COE and several universities, including Mississippi State University, the University of Kansas, the University of North Dakota, and Wichita State University, A68 seeks to validate Detect and Avoid (DAA) well-clear requirements for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). Key objectives include evaluating separation criteria proposed by industry standards, refining criteria for sUAS operations, and addressing challenges in defining DAA requirements.
Unifly’s participation in the project underscores the pivotal role UTM plays in integrating more drones into the airspace. Leveraging the Unifly platform, crucial flight testing of separation services will be conducted, covering both sUA-to-sUA and sUA-to-manned aircraft encounters. As part of the project scope, the above-mentioned universities will utilise the Unifly platform for flight planning, real-time and conformance monitoring, and alerting. Through the extensive Unifly API capabilities, flight plans, tracking data, and separation thresholds will be exchanged among multiple stakeholders.
'At Unifly, we are honoured to embark on this important journey, pioneering the establishment of validated separation criteria for sUAS operations. Our commitment to safety and cutting-edge technology is at the forefront of everything we do. We are eager to leverage our expertise and pioneering UTM platform to contribute meaningfully to this vital endeavour and autonomous aviation,' shared Andres Van Swalm, CEO, Unifly.
By being an industry partner within the ASSURE project, Unifly reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the safety and reliability of sUAS operations. Together with the industry and research partners, Unifly paves the way for a future where drones seamlessly coexist with traditional aircraft, ushering in a new era of airspace integration and aerial innovation.
