UAM EMS Simulation Framework (Deliverable 7.2)

In the AiRMOUR project, simulation is an important method for validating the project results. A simulation environment is established to simulate the chosen UAM EMS scenarios and test sites. The component that has received most attention is a computer flight simulator for the EMS eVTOL flights.

Flight simulations are an important part of the project and for numerous reasons, including:

Specifically, the flight simulator is built on a software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulator of the eVTOL flight control coupled with a flight simulator handling the eVTOL flight dynamics. The SITL simulator is connected to an eVTOL ground segment (control centre) and simulated ATM/UTM environments.

Simulations will be coupled to simulated models for the test sites and interfaced with open and accessible simulator environments like FlightGear1, where interactions with other air traffic can be investigated. The AiRMOUR eVTOL flight simulator is described at a greater level of detail in deliverable D7.3.

This deliverable, created by Stian Solbø (NORCE), will give a brief overview of the complete AiRMOUR simulation environment, and the components involved. The main focus will be on reviewing the projects validation objectives success criteria (SC) decided to be (partially) validated thru simulations. Further, we will present brief plans on how each of these SC will be validated.

The field of UAM EMS is still in its infancy and operates in a highly dynamic and multidisciplinary environment. Several domains are affected, such as the medical sector, the aviation domain and the urban and public sector realm. Each have their own ways of working and their own terminology. Clear guidelines on how to deal with UAM EMS are still missing.

This document provides a method, a framework for local authorities and EMS stakeholders, that guides them through the integration process of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) use cases into existing systems and operations. The framework can be understood as a stepwise instruction handbook and is divided into three main phases, namely ‘Explore’, ‘Analyse and ‘Implement’. Each phase is discussed generically and illustrated using real world case examples.

The ’Explore’ phase aims to identify a value-adding UAM EMS use case within a given functional urban area. The framework suggests analysing the respective area (can be a city or region) in terms of its geographical characteristics and its existing EMS system. Geographical barriers relate to topology, hydrography and climate and may indicate where a high operational gain of air transport lies. The existing EMS system should be analysed by consulting local EMS stakeholders. Current challenges or struggles of EMS stakeholder may hint at value adding use cases.

In the ‘Analyse’ phase, the framework suggests analysing the identified UAM EMS use case by means of quantitative and/or qualitative methods. The aim is to create a deeper understanding of the value proposition including expected performance levels and crucial influence parameters.

On the one hand, computer simulation is proposed as an objective data-driven quantitative analysis method. On the other hand, qualitative analysis methods include focus group discussions as well as user and expert interviews. Combining quantitative and qualitative analysis methods can provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the system and its context.

The ’Implement’ phase targets at the operationalization of an UAM EMS use case in the real world and may begin once the decision-makers give the go-ahead signal. In this phase, the envisioned use case encounters the real world. The framework suggests extracting a list of functional requirements and performing an initial feasibility check of the requirements. When the requirements are judged feasible, an implementation roadmap should be created. This roadmap describes the operational phases during the rollout and links tangible To-Do items and risks to the phases. Operational phases with increasing complexity are introduced, to keep the overall risk manageable and provide reaction time buffers for possible system adjustments.

Read the guidebook here.

The technology behind unmanned aviation today is not the same as when the AiRMOUR project started, nor will it be static after the project has ended. The rapid evolution in the field makes it difficult to firmly state the demands of supporting technology.

This report is intended to give the reader a broad understanding of the technology involved in the operation of Unmanned Aircraft (UA). It covers technologies in the aircraft itself and technologies required on the ground. The complete system, from the aircraft to the ground segment, is often referred to as the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).

The report also discusses preflight planning procedures that are necessary in order to operate safely. It focuses on the needs of the four scenarios stated in the AiRMOUR project. However, the content of this report is relevant
for other unmanned operations as well.

Read the report here.

In our live validations we use two types of emergency medical drones: one for logistic transport (ie. medicine) and another for passenger transport (ie. medical personnel). Here are the technical descriptions of the drones.

In the AiRMOUR project, simulations are an important method for validating the project results. Simulations are an important part of the project and for numerous reasons, including (i) Validating the plans and training for live demonstration; (ii) Elaborating on concepts not yet possible due to restrictions in regulations, certification, or maturity of technology; and (iii) Simulated collaboration with third parties on a scale that is not possible in live validations, including interactions with general aviation in uncontrolled airspace.

The selection of simulator software and components available to the AiRMOUR consortium is vast, established, and accurate. Nevertheless, there is a lack of an open and available eVTOL simulation model.

A simulation environment has been set up to simulate the chosen UAM EMS scenarios and test sites. The simulator environment includes a software-in-the-loop (SITL) simulator of the eVTOL flight control coupled with a flight simulator handling the eVTOL flight dynamics. The SITL simulator is connected to an eVTOL ground segment (control centre) and simulated ATM and UTM environments. Simulations can be coupled to simulated models for the test sites and interfaced with open and accessible simulator environments like FlightGear, where interactions with other air traffic can be investigated.

A new report documents the development of such a model, which is an essential part of the simulations performed in the AiRMOUR project, enabling us to meet the relevant validation objectives and simulate the various scenarios and use cases. Hence, train for the live validations.

Read the report here.

AiRMOUR organised a masterclass on Urban Air Mobility and its application for the Emergency Medical Services sector on December 7th and 8th. 

Of the twelve cities involved as Replicators in the AiRMOUR project, five of them attended the event. We asked several representatives what they learnt from the masterclass and how they are going to take the knowledge further. We gladly share the reflections from Senior Strategic Knowledge Centre officer Júlia Miczki from Budapest, Assistant Transport Strategy Officer Marie Godward from Manchester and Project Manager Camilla Wikström from the City of Stockholm.

You can read more about the masterclass programme and participants below. 

Another Urban Air Mobility masterclass will be held in autumn 2023 (date and location TBC). See also our online courses here: airmour-learningcentre.talentlms.com. 

Júlia Miczki from BKK Centre for Budapest Transport, the mobility manager of the city – and the responsible organization for the sustainable urban mobility planning (SUMP) for Budapest – told us that she wanted to learn about how to integrate urban air mobility (UAM) into their existing urban mobility system and the roles of the city planners and municipalities in the UAM implementation.

She felt that the masterclass provided an excellent opportunity to meet all the different fields of expertise involved in building up and testing real life emergency medical service (EMS) use cases with UAM solutions and to hear the AiRMOUR experts’ presentations, knowledge and visions about UAM.   

“The masterclass helped me to update my knowledge and it put it into a comprehensive context with respect to the regulation, the institutional and the operational level. It was interesting to learn about the public acceptance studies conducted about UAM, and for me it was a bit of a surprise that in general, citizens are thinking quite positively about UAM and how it could introduce new mobility solutions to their daily life”, she says.

“During the masterclass I had the impression, that it could be quite difficult for the different fields of expertise involved in UAM planning to find a common ground – not only in terms of the objectives, but in terms of understanding the differences in their mindsets and finding the best tools that can help them explain their thoughts to each other”, she says.

“Even the meaning of the same word could differ a lot. For example, ‘safety’ is itself a crucial part of sustainability in aviation, and also there is a robust strategic and operational system for safety for each aviation service provider. Meanwhile, in general road transport, safety and Vision Zero could be a long term objective, but it is still not considered as a basic condition for the sector’s and the operators’ survival. When we are talking about extending urban mobility from 2D into 3D, we need to address these differences when starting any stakeholder engagement processes.”

To conclude our interview Júlia Minczki also pointed out that: “Communication is and will be one of the most important enablers (or disablers) of the evolution of UAM, therefore, with the learnings from this masterclass I would try to help to build up step by step a realistic thinking about UAM within the urban planning community, and try to break down the silos of drones or the unrealistic safety and security concerns.” 

“Cities have an important role in building up an UAM ecosystem, and they definitely have responsibility in the ways how it will be implemented locally, and that the justification behind each UAM operation will meet the best acceptance and support of the local communities and stakeholders.”

“Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is the strategic transport authority for Greater Manchester and joined the AiRMOUR project as a replicator city. TfGM is currently developing its thinking and strategy around the future of urban mobility to enable its consideration in our SUMP and Innovation Prospectus. In Greater Manchester, there are no current examples of urban air mobility (UAM) and we have no previous experience with UAM projects”, Marie Godward says.

“We took part in the masterclass to learn more about the medical use case for drones and the impact they have on emergency medical responses. We already have an ongoing partnership with our National Health Service and are keen to work with them to establish how UAM could benefit EMS in the North West of England. We were also really interested to learn more about the results of the engagement activities and societal acceptance studies that took place in the project cities to understand readiness levels.”

“The masterclass was a brilliant learning opportunity to further expand my knowledge and understanding of the role which UAM can play in the healthcare sector. There was a range of different professions represented at the masterclass, spanning from urban planners to air traffic controllers and that led to very insightful presentations and discussions. We were also given the opportunity to put our learnings into practice during interactive sessions which were a great opportunity to think about the considerations which would need to be made and stakeholders who would need to be involved when planning a drone flight for a medical use case.”

“I had a basic level of understanding of UAM from attending the online training sessions held earlier in the year by AiRMOUR. It was very interesting to learn how UAM can be utilised to complement ground transport for EMS’ and in turn secure the performance and robustness of the response system. I also found it useful to learn more about the barriers to the innovation and rollout of UAM which included regulatory challenges, lack of testing sites in urban areas, associated risks, and infrastructure requirements.”

“What was surprising to learn was just how much the media can influence public perceptions of drones and how that can help or hinder overall acceptance.”

“Participation in the project as a replicator city offered TfGM and Greater Manchester valuable insight into the strengths, opportunities and weaknesses of UAM technology applications in the healthcare sector. We will also share insights gained from the masterclass and project outputs with other local authorities in the UK”, Marie Godward concludes.

Camilla Wikström from the City of Stockholm tells that she wanted to get a deeper overall knowledge of the current UAM development in relation to regulation, trends and use-cases. 

“I wanted to get a better idea of the role of the city in the context of UAM. It was an interesting two days with a lot of insights gained. It also opened up for discussions and networking.”

“I had a general knowledge about the topic beforehand but got the possibility to get a deeper understanding on the development of emergency services and how other stakeholders think.

I will share the knowledge with colleagues and local stakeholders. I will take the knowledge with me both for further internal work but also to current and future projects.”

The free event was held at EUROCONTROL’s aviation learning centre in Luxembourg. 27% of the participants’ organisations were from the aviation industry, 24% were cities or regions and 15% researchers, 12% were from the medical sector and 9% from the drone sector, 6% from the technology industry and 6% others (excluding AiRMOUR partners). 

There were 53 attendees, representing eleven countries: Luxembourg, Finland, U.K, France, Hungary, Poland, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Netherlands. 

See the programme here.

Another Urban Air Mobility masterclass will be held in autumn 2023 (date and location TBC). See also our online courses here: airmour-learningcentre.talentlms.com.

Ground risks and landing site management are important for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and especially for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). This relates to both prepared landing sites as well as ad hoc ones.

How can the vast experience from medical helicopters (HEMS) contribute to broader knowledge for UAM operators? How can ground risks be managed in urban areas? How can the location of landing sites and their management support drones in the city? These are questions that the report answers.

A qualitative study was carried out, including interviews with five HEMS operators active in the AiRMOUR partner countries and seven other actors with responsibilities of relevance for HEMS, such as regional 112 dispatchers and National Aviation Authorities. Future UAM operators and other stakeholders working with ground risk management can and should learn from experiences in HEMS and EMS UAM performed today.

The immaturity of landing site management especially, demands broad cooperation at an early stage. Cities must consider UAM EMS in the spatial planning process, and UAM operators must organise themselves to provide a joint voice for the dialogue. All stakeholders are recommended to cooperate in examining HEMS experiences to transfer them into UAM needs and manage those needs.

Read the study here

The European UAM action Group, consisting of the EU-funded projects Flying Forward 2020 (FF2020), AURORA, AiRMOUR, TindAIR, and USEPE, are working together on different elements of Urban Air Mobility (UAM). We are excited to participate in many upcoming conferences and events.

International Conference on Data Analytics 2022:

Valencia, Spain (13 – 17 November)

AURORA is co-organising a special topic dedicated to Urban Air Mobility on Monday, 14 November at 15:00, as part of the session on Transport and Traffic Analytics in Smart Cities. There will also be a keynote on Intelligent Urban Air Mobility on the same day at 15:00. Here is the link to the programme.

Transport Research Arena:

Lisbon, Portugal (14 – 17 November)

Under this year’s theme “Moving together – reimagining mobility worldwide”, AiRMOUR, AURORA, ASSURED-UAM, FF2020 and USEPE will share their results in the Invited session 24: Towards Sustainable Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Join us on 17 November at 08:30! 

Tomorrow.Mobility:

Barcelona, Spain (15 – 17 November)

Under the umbrella of the Smart City Expo World Congress, Tomorrow Mobility returns for its second edition. This year’s theme is What Moves You? AiRMOUR will be part of the (all-female) session “Cities’ and Citizens’ Expectations to Shape Urban Air Mobility” on Thursday, 17 November from 09:30 to 11:00. 

EU Drone Days:

Brussels, Belgium (29 – 30 November)

In this joint DG MOVE and SESAR 3 JU event, participants will gain key insights into the European Commission’s Drone Strategy 2.0., and join in discussions on how ready the European drone sector is to make U-space a reality.

The Annual POLIS Conference:

Brussels, Belgium (30 November – 1 December).

This year, a full deep dive session, including USEPE, AURORA, and AiRMOUR will focus on UAM on December 1st between 14:00 and 17:00 – don’t miss it for a fruitful debate building on recent research outcomes!

Sesar Innovation Days:

Budapest, Hungary (5 – 8 December)

With the 2022 event coinciding with the closure of several SESAR 2020 research projects, the event will showcase the latest research and innovation results. Both FF2020 and USEPE have submitted papers to present their research and the results of their development.

We look forward to seeing you there!

AiRMOUR is organising a free two day masterclass on the topic of Urban Air Mobility and its application for the Emergency Medical Services sector. We will be holding this event at EUROCONTROL’s aviation learning centre in Luxembourg on 7th and 8th of December 2022.

The interim programme is as follows:

For more details on the event and to register click here

For further information, please contact:

Lucy Mascarenhas
Senior Consultant, LuxMobility
l.mascarenhas(at)luxmobility.eu

AiRMOUR has developed an online learning platform where you can access courses from our training programme. The first course was given as a series of live lectures earlier this year and has now been made available on the new AiRMOUR learning platform which can be accessed by clicking here.

It includes videos on each topic covered and supporting material. A digital certificate of completion will be awarded after working through all modules in the course and passing the online quizzes.

The training programme is particularly useful for stakeholders working in cities, regional authorities, medical sector workers and those working in traditional aviation, for example.

The programme consists of three online courses and two in-person masterclasses which will give stakeholders insights into the use of drones in Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

The AiRMOUR project launched the UAM training programme in spring and it will run until end of 2023. The training programme is coordinated by LuxMobility in collaboration with EUROCONTROL and DTV Consultants.

The first course introduces the theme of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and how it can support EMS. The second (due to be launched in spring 2023) will cover the role of Concept of Operations for UAM EMS and the final course (due to be launched in autumn 2023) will focus on facilitating UAM for EMS in European cities.

The image below shows the training programme plan:

The training programme is part of the AiRMOUR UAM Toolbox which also includes a GIS tool and a UAM Guidebook.

Masterclass on Urban Air Mobility

AiRMOUR is organising a free two day masterclass on the topic of Urban Air Mobility and its application for the Emergency Medical Services sector. We will be holding this event at EUROCONTROL’s office in Luxembourg on 7th and 8th of December 2022.

For more details on the event and to register click on the link below:
https://learningzone.eurocontrol.int/ilp/pages/description.jsf#/users/@self/catalogues/826476
8/courses/11781276/description

For further information, please contact:

Palak Panchal
Consultant, LuxMobility
p.panchal(a)luxmobility.eu