Project: Developing European standards for drone tracking
Droniq, a joint venture of Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), Deutsche Telekom and Aerobits Sp. z o.o. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Stuttgart during INTERGEO / INTERAERIAL SOLUTIONS 2019. The aim of the cooperation is to develop European standards for system solutions that are necessary to manage the traffic of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAS).
Visualization of UAS
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are equipped with a special LTE modem called Hook-on-Device (HOD), which sends its position continuously over the Deutsche Telekom cellular network to the DFS UTM system. The new generation of HOD can do even more: it receives ADS-B messages (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) and incorporates FLARM transceiver to send its positional data to other users of the airspace equipped with FLARM receivers. The above-mentioned collision warning technologies are used by sailplanes, airplanes or helicopters traveling in uncontrolled airspace according to VFR rules. With this solution, the UAS controller always receives an accurate picture of all air traffic participants in its vicinity.
FLARM based UAS position broadcast
HOD transmits its own position data via FLARM. For example, a glider pilot who is near UAS with HOD automatically receives a cockpit alert – even if he is not using the UTM system.
Exclusive cooperation
Currently, there are no technical standards at the national or European area for UAS tracking. To accelerate this development, Droniq and Aerobits have agreed to sign a cooperation agreement in this area. As part of the partnership, HOD will be further developed in various variants, on the one hand in a dedicated housing, as well as in an OEM version, which can then be installed directly on board the aircraft. Miniaturizing the avionics to a size that allows it to be installed in the UAS is one of the key steps to integrating UAS into the airspace.
