I-Corps: Optimization-driven high-density air traffic management software for large-scale drone operations

I-Corps：用于大规模无人机操作的优化驱动的高密度空中交通管理软件

• 批准号: 2018127
• 负责人: Yanchao Liu
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: Wayne State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-05-01 至 2023-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2018127&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Optimization; driven; density; air

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to develop technology to make the low-altitude airspace more accessible for commercial drone delivery operations while ensuring a high level of operational safety and efficiency. Large-scale, organized deployment of delivery drones can unlock substantial efficiency gain in transportation systems in terms of reduced road congestion, reduced CO2 emission; in addition, it would offer health and convenience benefits to senior citizens, the ill, and mobility-challenged members of society. However, existing drone delivery practices are limited in scope, scale, and operating conditions due to inefficient air traffic management (ATM) paradigms. This project aims to discover a viable business model for translating technological innovations in unmanned ATM into an operable, city-scale, fully automated drone delivery system. The proposed system would allow safe use of the low-altitude airspace at an unprecedented density and efficiency, generating enormous savings for last-mile deliveries. This I-Corps project explores the development of a suite of novel optimization-driven algorithms in the areas of motion-planning, dynamic vehicle routing, communication and risk minimization to provide real-time ATM and trajectory control for a cooperative fleet of drones navigating a shared airspace. Existing ATM methods leave excessive separation margins due to human-level response time and control dexterity. In contrast, the proposed new system is optimized for high-density air traffic conditions, offering the capability to generate real-time adjustments to 4D flight trajectories, tolerating a smaller separation margin, and overseeing safe execution of control commands across the fleet. In a plug-and-play fashion, the proposed system will turn a collection of heterogeneous multicopter drones into an organized and intelligent fleet. The competitive advantage lies in the fusion of the state-of-the-art operations research (OR) models and algorithms onto drone platforms via commoditized cloud computing, IoT and communication infrastructures.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发技术，以使低空领空更容易用于商业无人机交付操作，同时确保高水平的运营安全性和效率。大规模的，有组织的交付无人机部署可以在减少的道路充血，减少二氧化碳排放方面释放运输系统中的大量效率；此外，这将为老年人，疾病和流动性挑战的社会成员提供健康和便利福利。但是，由于空中交通管理（ATM）范式效率低下，现有的无人机交付实践的范围，规模和操作条件有限。该项目旨在发现可行的业务模型，该模型将无人ATM中的技术创新转化为可操作的，城市规模的全自动无人机交付系统。提出的系统将允许以前所未有的密度和效率安全地使用低空领空，从而为最后一英里的交付产生巨大的节省。这个I-Corps项目探讨了在运动规划，动态车辆路由，通信和风险最小化领域的一系列新型优化驱动算法的开发，以提供实时的ATM和轨迹控制无人驾驶飞机，以导航共享空域。由于人级响应时间和控制敏度，现有的ATM方法留下了过度的分离边缘。相比之下，提出的新系统针对高密度的空中交通条件进行了优化，从而提供了对4D飞行轨迹进行实时调整的能力，可容忍较小的分离边距，并监督机队跨机队的控制命令的安全执行。拟议的系统以插件的方式将一组异类的多驾驶仪的集合变成有组织而聪明的舰队。竞争优势在于最先进的操作研究（OR）模型（OR）模型和算法通过商品化的云计算，物联网和通信基础架构融合到无人机平台上。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过该基金会的知识分子功能和广泛的影响来评估CRITERIA的智力功能和广泛影响。

项目成果

Routing battery-constrained delivery drones in a depot network: A business model and its optimization–simulation assessment

• DOI: 10.1016/j.trc.2023.104147
• 发表时间: 2023-07
• 期刊: Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies
• 作者: Yan-chun Liu