Data-driven approach for comprehensive airspace assessment of unmanned aircraft system operations in urban environments

Abstract

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the aviation industry. Concerns have also been raised about the potential risks posed by unmanned aircraft (UA), which are expected to operate at low-altitude. Unlike high-altitude airspace, operating UA in low-altitude airspace requires consideration of the impact of UA on a variety of existing environmental factors, including people and buildings. Several studies have attempted to identify accessible airspace, considering the impact of UAS operations on people or buildings. However, existing studies were insufficient to comprehensibly reflect these effects. In this study, we propose a data-driven framework for a comprehensive assessment of airspace for UAS operations in urban environments. Furthermore, population risk and airspace availability are defined and measured to reflect complex urban environments using high-resolution datasets. Our comprehensive airspace assessment includes quadrant analysis and Pareto ranking analysis. Our framework effectively captures the impact of urban environments, including buildings and people, on accessible airspace, even in complex urban areas.