From windfarms to Amazon Prime, UK plans to long range test six drone services
- Reference: 1723797127
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/08/16/uk_test_drones_bvlos/
- Source link:
"The regulator has chosen the trials to take place that will help safely integrate drones flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of their operator into UK airspace, helping to make this vital extension to drone flying an everyday reality," [1]explained the CAA.
Drone local policy currently requires drones do not fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for the operator, unless as a part of a trial. Longer operating flights and missions of this nature require advanced technologies for navigation, control and detection of other aircraft.
[2]
CAA detailed that the trials will gather data on how drones detect each other and avoid collisions. The results will help the regulator better develop policy and regulations to integrate the devices into air traffic.
[3]
[4]
The six approved entities involved in the trial applied and were selected for a part in the "BVLOS sandbox," which is a collaboration with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Further permissions will be needed before the trials begin.
"These have the potential to transform how we deliver goods and provide services, particularly in less well-connected regions. These new sandbox projects are a great step towards realising these ambitions," said Simon Masters, a director at UKRI.
[5]No, really, please ban Chinese DJI drones from America's skies, senators are urged
[6]Light-weight solar-powered flying robots are coming
[7]Boeing-backed air taxi upstart Wisk plans to fly you across town at UberX prices by 2030
[8]Southwest latest to aim at electric air taxi dream with Archer partnership
Among those involved in the trial are the previously mentioned Amazon Prime Air, which will use the drones to deliver small packages to customers in less than an hour.
Amazon Prime Air [9]received approval for BVLOS in the USA from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company told The Reg in May it has already made thousands of deliveries via drones.
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Last October it [11]revealed a new drone design and detailed how it was planning to begin delivering packages using drones in Britain, Italy and a third US location. Its drone delivery services had already been in use in College Station, Texas and Lockeford, California.
Veep at Amazon Prime Air David Carbon called it "crucial" for operators to have clear regulatory requirements before bringing and scaling new technologies likes drone delivery to UK customers.
The project does more than explore how shoppers get their packages delivered - it's also running pilots that include working with an unnamed “offshore wind developer” to service turbines, and another trial is planned with the National Police Air Service for flying uncrewed policing aircraft.
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UK-based air navigation service provider NATS, formerly National Air Traffic Services, is in a trial to complete BVLOS inspections over the North Sea and testing hub formed through a consortium, Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE). It will [13]develop what it has named the Trial Orkney Test Zone to test integrated manned and unmanned aircraft operations from Kirkwall Airport.
SATE [14]detailed that its trails would be led by the producers of an autonomous cargo drone named ULTRA that can carry 100 kg up to 1,000 km.
And lastly, an emergency supply providing initiative dubbed Project Lifeline is trialling the drones for dropping off medical equipment like defibrillators, EPI pens and anti-bleeding kits. The drones in this trial will be enhanced with live camera feeds so first responders can assess and interact with those in medical need. ®
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[1] https://www.caa.co.uk/newsroom/news/new-trials-set-to-help-unlock-drone-deliveries-and-inspections-in-the-uk/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/edgeiot&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zr8jRuw@hKS-jz6zf6tiwAAAAA8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/edgeiot&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zr8jRuw@hKS-jz6zf6tiwAAAAA8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/edgeiot&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zr8jRuw@hKS-jz6zf6tiwAAAAA8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/26/us_senate_dji_drone/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/17/lightweight_solarpowered_flying_robots_are/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/22/wisk_regulatory_challenges/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/15/southwest_airtaxi_dream/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/30/amazon_prime_air_allowed_off/
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/edgeiot&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zr8jRuw@hKS-jz6zf6tiwAAAAA8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/19/amazon_drone_delivery_expands/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offprem/edgeiot&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zr8jRuw@hKS-jz6zf6tiwAAAAA8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://sate.scot/2024/08/15/sate-selected-as-part-of-new-trials-set-to-help-unlock-drone-deliveries-and-inspections-in-the-uk/
[14] https://sate.scot/2024/08/15/sate-selected-as-part-of-new-trials-set-to-help-unlock-drone-deliveries-and-inspections-in-the-uk/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Really ?
You'd think they would be bragging about it if those deliveries were successful.
'Drones' covers a multitude of sins...
Are we speaking here of things six inches across with a prop at each corner, or things twelve feet long?
Will they be restricted to defined and published corridors?
What electronic conspicuity systems will they have, and equally, how can they detect other aircraft flying possibly without such systems and under VFR rules in (say) class G airspace?
Enquiring minds (who happen to be fairly concerned about meeting one while mid-air) want to know!
On the face of it, the idea of using drones to allow retailers to get orders to customers faster sounds cool, but it makes me think. Last week ordered something online, and got an email with some tracking info. Currently it looks like it's going to get to me in 5 working days of me placing the order. I was initially a bit disappointed - if only it get there a day earlier because I know I'll be around all day, with no 'left with a neighbour' business. Then I thought back to the good old days of mail order and the standard "please allow 28 days for delivery". 5 days versus 28? When is 'fast' fast enough? Maybe we all need to learn to be a bit more patient.
Yes I am an old man and yes, usually a grumpy one at that.
The day is surely coming when the AI behemoths will know what you want to purchase before you even touch a search engine... as soon as you formulate the desire, the goods will be on your doorstep!
(After all, you bought a fridge only last week; surely you need another seventeen?)
I don't know....I have some pretty weird desires...possibly weird enough to irrevocable freak the AI out enough to bring it to a grinding halt. In fact, if your scenario pans out then it could be me that prevents the singularity from happening.
Huh
Packages delivered by drone? Where I live?
Don't know which would get nicked first, the package or the drone!!
Eight years late
The CAA and government reacted to the early rise of drones by making a complete mess of introducing regulation (because nothing helps an industry grow like the uncertain threat of being unable to use the expensive equipment you rely on), running a series of pointless consultations and setting the restrictions so low that many nascent businesses just closed up shop (or in at least a couple of cases, move country to somewhere that supported them).
As a result, the UK can boast virtually no home-grown drone manufacturers, very little business activity and strangled skills in the technology. Ignoring Amazon, there are plenty of great uses for drones, from agriculture through to construction, and on to safety and rescue, asset management and of course recreation. These are being explored in the USA, Africa, Asia, Poland... basically anywhere other than the UK.
This is an area we could have excelled in (having a healthy aerospace and automotive high tech sector), but it was screwed up by an understaffed CAA, a civil service that saw a great opportunity to keep a few more staff busy, and a government that responded to Daily Mail headlines by promising meaningless and much delayed regulation. Astonishingly this is being treated like an academic exercise by those on the gravy train, rather than a sector that we could actually compete in on a global scale.
Well, I say astonishingly. Most people in the business were predicting this result eight years ago, and regularly ever since.
Really ?
" The company told The Reg in May it has already made thousands of deliveries via drones "
So, where are the horror stories ? Does anyone have first-hand knowledge of these drone deliveries ? What was delivered and did it work ?