Successful demonstration tests of integrated traffic management functions connected at multiple sites

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Successful demonstration tests of integrated traffic management functions connected at multiple sites

NEWS RELEASE2021/05/20

　NEDO is working with NEC Corporation, NTT DATA Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., and Weathernews Inc. on Drones and Robots for Ecologically Sustainable Societies project. We connected them from several sites from March 15 to March 18, 2021, and carried out a demonstration test of a integrated traffic management function.

　Specifically, we connected drone-field KAWACHI and other devices to the integrated traffic management function provided in the traffic management system of the Fukushima Robot Test Field, and confirmed that the integrated traffic management function with enhanced functions work properly, such as improving the user interface function for businesses and upgrading the airspace management function.

　Through this project, we will promote the development of integrated traffic management function that enable the integrated management of unmanned aircraft operations, thereby contributing to the realization of a society in which many unmanned aircrafts will fly safely and securely throughout the country in the future.

Figure 1. Demonstration Test at drone-field KAWACHI

1. Overview

　Unmanned aircrafts are expected to be used in a variety of fields in the future, including logistics and post, security, disaster surveys, inspections, investigation, and agricultural. However, in order to realize a social where unmanned aircrafts fly at high density, it is necessary to comprehend the flight plan and flight conditions of all aircrafts and manage unmanned aircraft operations in an integrated manner, such as by reliably avoiding collision and other dangers. In addition, in order to operate unmanned aircrafts safely, it is necessary to provide unmanned aircraft operators with weather and topographical information, as well as three-dimensional map information for buildings.

　Against this backdrop, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) is promoting the development of a traffic management system for the safe flight of unmanned aircraft from multiple businesses in the same airspace. In the past, the Fukushima Robot Test Field ※1 (Minami-Soma City, Fukushima Pref) has been equipped with a server that provides the integrated traffic management function in the General Control Room. While releasing the Application Programming Interface (API) ※2 of the traffic management system, we have conducted an interoperability test of the traffic management system ※3 in which ordinary drawn operators participated in the Fukushima Robot Test Field.

　As part of these efforts, NEDO has been conducting R&D on functional expansion of the integrated traffic management function since FY2020 in order to realize stable coordination of traffic management system in several regions in anticipation of a nationwide social implementation of traffic management system. Together with NEC Corporation, NTT DATA Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd. and Weathernews Inc., NEDO conducted demonstration tests of the integrated traffic management function connected from multiple locations in anticipation of the social implementation of traffic management system for the safe flight of unmanned aircrafts from multiple operators in the same airspace.

　Specifically, we connected the drone-field KAWACHI (Kawachi-cho, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki Pref) to the integrated traffic management function installed in the traffic management system of the Fukushima Robot Test Field, and monitored the operation from the flight control function indication terminal installed in Tokyo, confirming that the functions such as improved user interface function and enhanced airspace management function for businesses operate normally.

　Through this demonstration test, NEDO will integratedly manage numerous unmanned aircraft operations, which are expected to play an active role in various fields in the future, and contribute to the environmental improvement of a social where unmanned aircrafts fly safely and securely throughout the country.

2. Details of verification test

Duration: March 15 to March 18, 2021

Location: Drone-field KAWACHI (Kawachi-cho, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki Pref)

Implementation: We connected the integrated traffic management function of the traffic management system in the Fukushima Robot Test Field using the flight control function on the cloud from the drone-field KAWACHI, and conducted a connection verification test at three sites that monitored normal operation using the flight control function display terminal installed in Tokyo as a manufacturer's base. In addition, we have verified the usefulness of the integrated traffic management function, which extends the functions and technologies listed below to the environmental of the interoperability tests ※4 with the traffic management system we have built so far.

1. Improvement of user interface function for businesses

2. Enhancement of the air space management function

3. Collision risk management function and operation function in the occurrence of an accident

4. Technology for managing and utilizing weather information nationwide

Figure 2. Configuration of Verification Tests

3.　Concrete verification contents of the project implementer

　In this verification test, the details of the specific verification by each operator are as follows.

[NEC Corporation]

The improved user interface was evaluated by multiple unmanned aircraft operators to verify that unmanned aircraft operators can register flight plans and dynamic information directly to the integrated traffic management function.

[NTT DATA Corporation]

They have developed a mechanism to determine whether an unmanned aircraft operator can enter the airspace in response to the specified airspace if conditions such as how the unmanned aircraft is to be flew in what type of use are set in advance, and verified that the mechanism can be provided by the API. They also verified that the recognition of flight conditions in the airspace will be improved by using manned aircraft dynamic information obtained by unmanned aircraft operators from external information provision systems.

[Hitachi, Ltd.]

They have developed an avoidance function when an unmanned aircraft approaches and an operation function when an accident occurs. This time, they have implemented a function that enables the parameter adjustment of the generation range and effective time of the No-Fly Area for the airframe to be alarmed in the event of an unmanned aircraft failure or a deviation from the flight plan, and have verified its effectiveness. They also verified the effectiveness of the communication abnormality monitoring method with the aim of improving the reliability of operations during social implement.

[Weathernews Inc.]

Accuracy verification was carried out for areas without stationary observers by generating field analysis model data and comparing them with observer data (weather observation unmanned aircrafts, Doppler sodars, and wind direction and anemometers). They also demonstrated that linking the dynamic information of the manned aircraft owned by Weathernews to the integrated traffic management function via the API enabled the operator of the unmanned aircraft to identify manned aircraft in the surrounding airspace.

For more information on the verification tests of individual carriers, refer to the appendix (only in Japanese).

In addition, NEDO Formula YouTube "NEDO Channel will disclose the status of verification tests.
NEDO Channel: Demonstration of Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Traffic Management Function-Fukushima RTF to National

4.　Future Plans

　NEDO, together with NEC Corporation, NTT DATA Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., and WeatherNews Inc., will conduct interconnection tests utilizing APIs of the traffic management system until February 2022 to continue functional expansion verification of the integrated traffic management function. In conjunction with the demonstration project for the traffic management system ※5 that can be used in a real environment, we will perform technical validation in a real environment assuming the use of an unmanned aircraft.

[Annotation]

※1　Fukushima Robot Test Field

A research and development base environment of reproducing actual use environments and conducting research and development, demonstration tests, performance evaluations, and maneuvering training, mainly targeting field robotics for land, sea, and sky, such as unmanned aircraft, disaster response robots, and underwater exploration robots, which are expected to be utilized for logistics, infrastructure inspections, large-scale disasters, etc.

※2　Application Programming Interface (API)

A mechanism for sharing the functions of programs and software. Service can be provided to domestic and overseas businesses by disclosing API to the Internet.

※3　Interconnect test of the traffic management system with the participation of ordinary unmanned aircraft operators

Reference: NEDO News Release October 30, 2019

Successful interconnection test of a drone traffic management system with the participation of general drone operators

※4　Environment for interconnection testing

Reference: NEDO News Release October 3, 2019

"Establishing an Interconnect Test with Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management System of the Same Area and Multiple Businesses" (only in Japanese)

※5　Demonstration Project of Traffic Management System

Reference: NEDO news releases November 30, 2020,

"Demonstration testing in several areas for the social implementation of unmanned aircrafts begins." (only in Japanese)

5.　Inquiries

(Inquiries about the contents of this news release)
　　NEDO Robot & AI Department: Mori, Nishimura　TEL: 044-520-5244

(Common inquiries about NEDO business)
　　NEDO Public Relations Department:　Sakamoto　TEL: 044-520-5151　E-mail: nedo_press@ml.nedo.go.jp

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Drones and Robots for
Ecologically Sustainable Societies project(DRESS project)