OneSky’s UTM gives SoftBank Corp. the confidence to fly the optimum route from planning through operations.
OneSky, a leading uncrewed aircraft systems traffic management (UTM) solution provider, took part in an experimental drone demonstration in Susami-cho led by SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”), in cooperation with Amuse Oneself Inc. (“Amuse Oneself”) and FUTABA CORPORATION. The goal was to prove that damage from a disaster situation can be immediately and safely assessed from the drone.
The drone’s route was automatically determined by OneSky’s uncrewed traffic management system (UTM) based on a 3D map created with Amuse OneSelf’s LIDAR data. Weather, airspace constraints, and other information were integrated into the UTM to provide additional situational awareness. Environment analysis from Ansys HFSS 3D high-frequency electromagnetic simulation software was used to ensure the LTE wave intensity of SoftBank’s LTE communications network would support the flight.
In this demonstration, the drone flew a round-trip of 8 km from the disaster prevention center to the Susami Ohashi Bridge and photographed the bridge to confirm the damage. The demonstration confirmed the effectiveness of simulating flight routes using 3D terrain data and other data provided by the UTM in advance rather than conducting field surveys before drone flights.
Garrett McKelvey, OneSky project lead, said, “The OneSky UTM integrates critical information including navigation accuracy, 3D terrain and building information, and weather data. This makes the UTM a great solution for validating safe and efficient flight paths for drones, whether harmonizing dozens of simultaneous drone flights or supporting individual missions.”