Coventry University has launched a new study examining whether the use of drone technology can be scaled up to make cities better prepared for emergencies.
The URBAN ASCENT project which also involves Coventry City Council, Skyfarer, The Manufacturing Technology Centre and Slink-Tech, will look into whether drones could be used to deliver critical medical supplies, create maps of city structures, speed up disaster response, support search and rescue missions and provide communication in remote areas.
Funded by a government grant, supporting work that will help develop next-generation aviation technologies, it is hoped URBAN ASCENT will help establish Coventry and the UK as a hub for urban aerial logistics and sustainable aviation.
Coventry University’s role in the project is to examine whether the use of drones for specific uses within urban environments is commercially feasible.
Dr Safaa Sindi, Assistant Professor – Supply Chain Operations at Coventry University’s Research Centre for Future Transport and Cities and principal investigator on the university’s aspect of the project, said: “The main advantage of using drones is the speed, they avoid traffic, can reach remote or hard to access areas and they are sustainable. One of the main challenges of using drones within an urban environment is clutter and how they can operate within a space that is already used by vehicles, pedestrians and wildlife. However we are only talking about specific uses, this isn’t about not getting your Amazon parcel delivered by a drone.
“Our role in this project is to examine whether these uses are commercially viable and whether they can be upscaled, we’re validating the business case for using drones in this way. We’re at a stage now where the technology is ahead of current regulations regarding drones so part of this project concerns coming up with policies regarding commercial drone use that can be widely adopted, which could include designated drone superhighways. We’ll also look at the business case for drones such as whether it would be more cost effective for the technology to be leased and maintained by an outside provider.
“This project focuses specifically on Coventry and the West Midlands, which is a great location for us to examine because it includes a mix of urban and rural environments.”
Councillor Jim O’Boyle cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change said, “Drones are already proving that they can support work in controlled environments – including tasks such as observing traffic movements and investigating bridge structures. The next step is to see if this can transfer to a larger and maybe even commercial scale. It’s great we are working with local partners on this project – it’s a great fit with the city’s pioneering role in innovation.”
Coventry University has significant expertise in the field of aviation technology and played a key role in the design of a world first urban air transport hub called Air One.