Remote Sensing Systems for Urban-Scale Drone and Air Taxi Operations

Future drone and air taxi services will take place in the lowest parts of the atmosphere. In the United States, this region is vastly under sampled by existing atmospheric sensing systems and in-situ sensors. As a result, current and future vehicle operators may lack situational awareness of changing weather conditions, bringing uncertainty to aerial ride sharing, cargo delivery and emergency services, impacting up-time, business viability and safety of both vehicles and resources on the ground. This paper presents interviews with drone and air taxi operators on their weather related needs and current sources of weather information as a first step in defining requirements for integrative remote sensing solutions. The solution system is being prototyped and demonstrated in North Texas in collaboration with universities, government agencies and drone operators.