Drones

The feature dwells upon advanced aerial mobility industry current scenario along with the recent trends, dynamics and strategies adopted by the market players. BY PRATIK KIRVE The future of mobility is changing and the pace of innovation and advancements proves the same. In the next few years,people will not only witness the drones used by cinematographers but also the aerial vehicles used to transport people and cargo over the short distances. Advanced aerial mobility is the future of the transport. Aircrafts systems equipped with advanced and smart technologies will open up new avenues of mobility. Transporting people over short or medium distance safety will become possible as leading companies, organizations, and government authorities have been drawing out plans to launch air taxis, connect airports and other destinations, and improve overall operational efficiency. Autonomous aircrafts that need little or no supervision of on-board pilots will emerge and fast transportation solutions will become a reality. Moreover, these aircrafts will be designed by taking environmental concerns into consideration. Advanced aerial mobility industry will observe few trends in terms of navigation, integration of smart systems, and lifecycle management. The demand for innovative solutions will increase in the coming years. This will supplement the growth of the market. According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global advanced aerial mobility market is estimated to reach $16.81 billion by 2025 and $110.02 billion by 2035. Following are some of the new developments and trends taking place across the world. Navigation and maneuverability The advent of autonomous advanced aerial mobility vehicles would enable the access to locations that were inaccessible before. Accessing locations at low and medium altitudes and travelling short and medium distances are possible. These automated flying aircrafts can navigate with the help of maps, spot people, detect properties, and land safety with on-board pilot giving instructions. Moreover, these aircrafts are equipped with advanced algorithms and capabilities to avoid collision and be safe. The automatic detection capabilities of aircrafts in the vicinity will help in operating safely in the high-density areas. In addition, altitude control and path following technologies will be developed in the coming years to offer more control than before to the automated aircrafts. Moving people and cargo over short and medium distances in much lesser time than before will become a reality. The airports can also be connected through the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology. While a car or train would take hours to reach from one airport to another, these aircrafts would save a lot of time and improve overall efficiency of operations. With increase in accessibility, there will be surge in utilization of hub airports. Integration of intelligent systems The autonomous aircrafts are equipped with intelligent systems to carry out tasks with little help or supervision of on-board pilots. The implementation of sensors, artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and cognitive systems will help in executing different tasks. Finding the path between towers, cables, and high-altitude building need an intelligent system in an aircraft. This kind of transportation need higher safety levels as compared to traditional land-based transportation. To enable such level of decision making and safety, intelligent systems with advanced technologies need to be installed. In these systems, cyber security becomes a key concern as cyber criminals can target these systems and jeopardize people and cargo in these aircrafts. The potential for cyber attacks rises considerably with connected and autonomous systems. The research and development activities for ensuring security of these systems are ongoing, and the more sophisticated systems will be introduced in the coming years as cyber criminals discover different types of attacks. Lifecycle management of aircrafts Reducing environmental footprint as much as possible is becoming the objective of every manufacturer of aircraft systems with rise in awareness regarding various concerns related to the environment. The products need to be designed and manufactured in such a way that it can be reused, disposed, and recycled even after the product life ends. Raw materials and manufacturing processes need to be analyzed. As the reuse and recycling of some electric components and lightweight materials is difficult, development of new materials will be carried out. Moreover, manufacturers should inform and educate the operators about the potential hazards and environmental impact of some of the materials. This will help in servicing and maintenance phases. It is important to consider the recycling and decommission of aircraft parts during the design phase. Lightweight materials such as titanium, aluminum, and other alloys have been used in aircrafts. These materials can be reused and recycled. However, the composite materials such as carbon fiber and other resins are difficult to recycle. So, there needs to be a proper consideration in choosing the raw material for building the aircraft. The ongoing research and development activities focus on creating materials that would be recycled and reused after the end of their lives. Same goes for batteries. The battery technology and components must reduce the overall costs and the composition of chemicals must improve performance. However, they should also address environmental concerns and reduce the challenges that may arise in future due to the end of battery life. (The writer is currently working as a Team Lead – Content Writing at Allied Market Research. He can be reached at:pratik.kirve@alliedmarketresearch.net)

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs – also known as drones – have long been welcomed across industries. Businesses have realized that drones have multiple commercial applications, some of which go beyond basic surveillance, photography, or videos, and they are already using them to transform daily work in some industries. By Swapnik Jakkampudi Drones have now forayed in a variety of sectors, primarily owing to robust investment support and loosening regulations. Responding to the rapidly evolving technology, companies are creating new business and operating models. In India, application of commercial drones has cuts across sectors such as construction, education, law enforcement, media and entertainment, precision agriculture, surveying and mapping, and inspection and monitoring. In fact, Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have by far been one of the most looked up to and promising technologies emerging from the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As per an industry report, the market for UAVs in India is expected to touch xxx million by end of 2022. Pandemic has made sectors embrace this technology even faster Pandemic has made one thing clear, that drones are the future. The pandemic has pushed for digitisation. With this digital shift there is immense opportunity for the drone industry to flourish and grow in the years to come.Businesses across all verticals have started realising the upsides which are the cost efficiency, time saving and technological advancements that drones can weave into a business. Not just commercial but today various examples of drones in development projects show the possibilities of using them in the field of humanitarian aid and environmental protection. Changing face of the healthcare and disaster management With the trends induced by the pandemic, the importance of drone technology is especially realised in sectors like rural healthcare and providing relief package for disaster recovery. With a high tech make over in these spaces, drones will help overcome a number of big challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic has raised a red flag. Drones can also come to the aid of healthcare workers while delivering human organs for transplant. While there may be plenty of donors to meet the requirements, what often becomes a barrier is that available organs often don’t reach desperate patients. Also few cities are turning to this technology as a tool for disaster response. In many countries, Drones are deployed to help find people that are in need of assistance. They have also been used to create disaster maps and assess damage after events like hurricanes and earthquakes. Armed with technology such as infrared cameras, and AR technology, it can also be used to create heat maps that can help fire-fighters locate hotspots. These can also help locate people that need rescue and help with relief package deliveries where natural disasters strike. Time saving & cost effective Besides, drones ability to drive efficiency, it is also time saving and cost effective. This technology will surely disrupt the traditional methods of operation and infuse more efficiency across sectors. Also with the government’s empowering policy on drone operation, it is only a matter of time before drones become mainstream and an integral part for different businesses. Drones will surely change the face of how sectors operate in the near future. Drones can help in advancement of remote and inaccessible areas along with giving agriculture of our country a bigger platform. Create employment opportunities The growing use of drones will also exponentially boost the demand for qualified professionals who can build, manage, service and operate them. The Drone Federation of India has indicated that under the favourable climate for the drone industry there are approximately 100 drone manufacturers, at least 200 drone service providers and over 1 lakh drone pilots in India. This surely indicates that it will present immense job opportunities. Further after the policy regarding the drone rules will come into being, drone sector alone will generate 5-7 lakh job opportunities. Also with the industry maturing, the drone job market within it is becoming increasingly multifaceted. As a matter of fact, companies are not just competing to advance the latest UAV technology, but also to grab the very best talent–pilots, UAV operators, engineers, and data processing and analysis experts. Moreover, potential positions range from full-time to contract-based work, even internships across many industries. Optistic environment and a promising future 2021 has been a promising year for UAVs as it created an optimistic environment with the introduction of new drones rules and PLI scheme. Tiding over all odds, Drone sector is one such sector that has been consistently picking up which is a positive sign for the growth and economy picking up. Many companies in India have signed new deals to kick off large-scale, commercial B2B drone operations. As most of the companies operating in this sector primarily comprise of start ups, they are looking up to the government to simplify policies and provide better support that would help them scale up manufacturing and leverage the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. Road ahead The government needs to realise that the drone Industry in India is still at a nascent stage and very small and mostly run by very small start-ups, therefore, the govt. should announce special Drone VC fund, reduction in GST, R&D grants, tax exemptions, import and export benefits and infrastructure development grants for start-ups and SMEs to help the domestic industry grow faster than the global counterparts and serve not only the domestic market but the global market. Also one of the important aspect for faster adoption of this technology is that volumes are the need of the hour to bring down the costs. Moreover, government should lay down clear export and import policies which are in favour of the sector to keep with the momentum and tap on global opportunities. Today, both enterprises and the government are realising the economic and social opportunities and sustainability that UAVs can offer. The faster adoption of UAVs is therefore critical to realise the potential of this technology. And there is no doubt that this will also turn the drone segment

28th September 2021,New Delhi: The first of its kind Swarm Drone Show was organised at IIT Delhi on 28th September. The formation consisted of approx. 80 indigenously built drones by BotLab Dynamics. The formation included a DNA structure a cylindrical cone, a ‘Thank U’ formation in honour of Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secy., MoCA, who’s retiring by the end of this Sept. Showstopping formation of the evening was The Indian flag, held up all high with all indigenously built drones.

New Delhi, 16 August 2021: Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 to 10organizations. The detail of these permissions include: 1.Government of Karnataka : Drone based aerial survey for creating urban property ownership records in Bengaluru 2.National Health Mission, Mumbai: For conducting experimental BVLOS drone flights to deliver essential healthcare items in tribal areas of Jawhar in Palghar district of Maharashtra 3.Gangtok Smart City Development : Drone based aerial survey for Smart City Project 4.Steel Authority of India, IISCO Steel Plant, Burnpur, West Bengal: For conducting perimeter surveillance of the plant 5.Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy, Hyderabad, Telangana: For conducting remote pilot training using drones 6.Blue Ray Aviation, Gujarat : For conducting remote pilot training using drones 7.Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, Chennai: For conducting drone based aerial spraying to assess crop health & prevent crop disease 8.Mahindra & Mahindra, Mumbai, Maharashtra: For conducting drone based agricultural trials & precision spraying on paddy & hot pepper crop in the state of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh respectively 9.Bayer Crop Science, Mumbai, Maharashtra: For conducting drone based agricultural research activities & agricultural spraying 10.Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune For atmospheric research at these 5 locations: -IITM Bhopal; NDA, Pune; Karad Airpor; -Osmanabad Airport; Mohammed Airfield, Farrukhabad. These exemptions are valid for a period of one year from the date of approval or until further orders, whichever is earlier and shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the SOP issued by DGCA.

26 July 2021: United Kingdom SAMAD Aerospace,a green technology start-up based in Cranfield in the United Kingdom announced that it has completed hover tests for its second prototype eVTOL eStarling aircraft.Designed for intercity transport, the eStarling aircraft will combine a helicopter’s vertical ability to take off and land from almost anywhere, with the speed and range of a business jet. With a semi blended wing body (BWB) design and powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the eStarling will be the fastest hybrid electric eVTOL aircraft in the world with the longest range. The eStarling has a cruising speed of 300 MPH and range of 800 Miles, which can reach the highest speeds of any eVTOL aircraft. It can transport passengers avoiding the need to travel to and from airports. Previous testing has developed conventional take-off and landing of the prototype. Recent tethered hover tests followed by full hover tests demonstrated a very agile and stable prototype with hovering and helicopter moves.This month’s hover tests were performed over a crane system, and they focused on the validation of the flight control system in hovering mode. The aircraft consumed 65% of the available power to take off and hover with a healthy power surplus for adverse weather conditions. Speaking on this development from UK, Dr. Seyed Mohseni, CEO of SAMAD Aerospace, said:“The importance of these recent flight tests is the initial validation of autopilot that has been developed by the SAMAD Aerospace team.”

New Delhi, 15 July 2021: Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the updated Drone Rules, 2021 for public consultation. Built on a premise of trust, self-certification, and non-intrusive monitoring, The Drone Rules, 2021 will replace the UAS Rules 2021 (released on 12 March 2021). The last date for receipt of public comments is 5 August 2021. Key takeaways from the Draft Drone Rules, 2021 include: 1. Approvals abolished: unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of existing drones, operator permit, authorisation of R&D organisation, student remote pilot licence, remote pilot instructor authorisation, drone port authorisation etc. 2. Number of forms reduced from 25 to 6. 3. Fee reduced to nominal levels. No linkage with the size of the drone. 4. Safety features like ‘No permission – no take-off’ (NPNT), real-time tracking beacon, geo-fencing etc. to be notified in future. A six-month lead time will be provided for compliance. 5. Digital sky platform shall be developed as a business-friendly single-window online system. 6. There will be minimal human interface on the digital sky platform and most permissions will be self-generated. 7. Interactive airspace map with green, yellow, and red zones will be displayed on the digital sky platform. 8. Yellow zone reduced from 45 km to 12 km from the airport perimeter. 9. No flight permission required upto 400 feet in green zones and upto 200 feet in the area between 8 and 12 km from the airport perimeter. 10. No pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use), nano drone and for R&D organisations. 11. No restriction on drone operations by foreign-owned companies registered in India. 12. Import of drones and drone components to be regulated by DGFT. 13. No security clearance required before any registration or licence issuance. 14. No requirement of certificate of airworthiness, unique identification number, prior permission and remote pilot licence for R&D entities. 15. Coverage of drones under Drone Rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This will cover drone taxis also. 16. All drone training and testing to be carried out by an authorised drone school. DGCA shall prescribe training requirements, oversee drone schools and provide pilot licences online. 17. Issuance of Certificate of Airworthiness delegated to Quality Council of India and certification entities authorised by it. 18. Manufacturer may generate their drone’s unique identification number on the digital sky platform through the self- certification route. 19. Easier process prescribed for transfer and deregistration of drones. 20. Standard operating procedures (SOP) and training procedure manuals (TPM) will be prescribed by DGCA on the digital sky platform for self-monitoring by users. No approvals required unless there is a significant departure from the prescribed procedures. 21. Maximum penalty under Drone Rules, 2021 reduced to INR 1 lakh. This shall, however, not apply to penalties in respect of violation of other laws. 22. Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries. 23. Drone promotion Council to be set up to facilitate a business-friendly regulatory regime. https://www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/Draft_Drones_Rules_14_Jul_2021.pdf Source: PIB

Written By Wing Commander S Vijay (Veteran) Vaccination drive for COVID-19 is going to be a gigantic task even though India has a well-structured vaccination delivery system owing to its universal immunisation programmes. While the country has the world’s largest railways and road networks but a new, efficient mode of transporting vaccines would be required to overcome the logistical challenges considering the fact that India is a vast country with 67% of population lives in rural India. This is where a drone-based distribution system plays a vital role. Using drones could make delivery of critical medicines, vaccines especially to remote areas, more accessible and faster. Using drones to deliver medical supplies will help in better resource management of the limited supplies and facilitate just-in-time delivery to the current supply chain system. The smart inventory management and overcoming stock out issues can help lighten the current burden and deal with the crisis efficiently. In fact, many countries in Africa are using drones to deliver vaccines. There are instances of drone usage in emergency situations in India as well. Hence there is a need to think beyond the conventional methods and adopt the rapid drone delivery system for transportation of vaccines and emergency medicines to tackle life threatening diseases. Just like emergency usage of vaccination was granted, emergency usage of drone deliveries could also be permitted in the health care sector. Also, the policy makers need to acknowledge the fact that drones are rapidly revolutionizing the healthcare landscape by making faster delivery of critical lifesaving medicines. The effectiveness of these unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) with advanced models can effectively deal with tremendous pressure piling on the global healthcare sector. Today some of the most exciting potential applications come from the use of drones in the healthcare and medical deliveries. Drones are effectively delivering biologicals like blood, serums, viral culture, vaccines and organs in fastest and safest manner which is helping in saving millions of lives. Appreciating its sweeping influence on future medical services, the healthcare industry is leaving no stone unturned to position drones for medical use. While the modern healthcare system represents some of the greatest achievements of the human intellect to improve the quality of people’s lives. Yet, in this modern age, many people in rural and underdeveloped quarters of the world still lack access to basic healthcare. Closing these gaps has gained a new urgency during the current pandemic. With the use of drones’ health workers can easily place orders by text message or call and promptly receive their deliveries in 30 minutes on average. Medical drones could fly into these remote areas with supplies that are tailored to the situation. Deliveries can be made from the sky, with the drone descending to a safe height above the drop zone and releasing a box of medicine by parachute or by landing at a designated spot near to health centres it serves. Therefore, it is high time we think of a future where packages would reach in minutes instead of hours/days. Drones for healthcare logistics have recently seen a range of landmark moments. Drones have already been used with great success in places like Haiti, where they delivered much-needed aid packages after the 2010 earthquake. In the event of a serious disaster, drones could take to the skies with the supplies that are essential to keeping individuals alive and healthy, even for extended periods of time. From medications to water and emergency rations, drones get the supplies to the affected areas quickly without the agonizingly long wait that can occur when roads are cut off and airports are shut down. Also, a research report led by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicated that drones in the medical field have the possibility of improving vaccination rates and aid in various immunization programs held globally. This is true especially at a time with the rapid rising covid cases which is leading to an acute shortage of healthcare workers and facilities. With medical drones allowed to do deliveries and entrepreneurs push for new ways to utilize the technology, we can soon expect a faster, cheaper method of delivery of things that we need most, even during the most crucial moments of an emergency situation. Delivery of vaccines and medical supplies utilizing drones is not a new idea. World has already witnessed that the drones can be extremely helpful in remote locations where there’s a lack of proper infrastructure, connectivity and motorable roads. There are numerous advantages of using drones in healthcare, they can save lives, time, money, and human labour. There are drone models that are completely autonomous and can fly as per the pre fed flight plans without the need for any human intervention and monitoring. In the light of the above its high time that the Indian government needs to make an empowering policy milieu where the use of drones can become mainstream which will help warrant that most of its terrestrial spread can receive adequate medical coverage. Initiatives need to be taken in the country to create a system for medical drone procurement and to bridge key healthcare gaps. (The writer is Chief Operating Officer of Skye Air Mobility. Views expressed are personal.) AW Feature: May-June 21

Germany, 25 May 2021: Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT is vigorously pushing ahead with the development of a collision warning system for civil and military drones.After the radar sensor as the core element of a collision warning system was successfully tested in flight as part of the ProSA-n (military) and KoKo2 (civil) study programmes, work on the software required for interaction with an autopilot is well advanced. As early as this summer, a demonstrator of the collision warning system is to prove in flight tests that the sensor performance and the software-supported avoidance logic correspond correctly with the autopilot. “We have progressed faster than expected with our ‘Detect & Avoid’ radar,” says Erwin Paulus, head of HENSOLDT’s radar division. “In the meantime, the complete functional chain from detection and classification to the initiation of avoidance manoeuvres is working so reliably that we are sure we will be able to demonstrate a basic system for autonomous flying in the summer.” HENSOLDT has also been involved in the EUDAAS (= European Detect and Avoid System) programme, in which several European companies are developing a concept for bringing large military medium altitude/long endurance (MALE) drones, such as the Eurodrone recently released by the German parliament, into European airspace. HENSOLDT’s “detect-and-avoid” radar uses the latest Active Electronically Scanning Array (AESA) technology, which allows multiple detection tasks to be performed simultaneously and enables very rapid target detection. The scalable radar can be used in large military drones as well as on board smaller civilian drones.