The final demonstration in the SESAR U-space project Validation of U-space by tests in urban and rural areas (VUTURA) took place on August 29th in the Netherlands. During the demonstration, five drones flew between Twente Airport and the municipality of Enschede. Within VUTURA, connections are established between existing systems that register and identify drones and investigate how this information can be shared with air traffic control for the safe integration of drones with manned air traffic.
VUTURA demonstration flights tested the technical and economic viability of commercial drone flights, including flights beyond visual line of sight. Tests have been carried out in rural, urban and smart city environments over a two-year period. They feature variables such as different levels of automation, commercial and leisure drones, off-the-shelf and custom-made drones, in addition to coordination by two separate service providers.
VUTURA is led by the Dutch research agency NLR, supported by partners including AirHub, AirMap, Drone Flight Company, Gemeente Ecshede, LVNL, Robor Electronics, TUDelft, Unifly and Unisphere.
(Image: Twente Airport)
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