Memorial University of Newfoundland

Purpose

Vertical takeoff and Landing (VTOL) vehicles provide highly practical means of delivering critical goods to remote locations in Canada. Recent advances in navigation sensors, satellite communication data links and AI-powered navigation payloads are paving the path towards safe and robust beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) VTOL drone delivery. Current drone delivery systems exclusively rely on GPS waypoint navigation autonomy functions to support BVLOS operation with remote pilot supervision, but mainstream operational adaptation of these systems requires additional safety critical measures to guarantee navigational accuracy regulatory requirements, protection measures against injury to persons caused by system failures and warning and alerts to enhance the risk awareness of the system. To this end, this project will develop Al-based multi-sensor navigation technology that adapts to the changes in sensor information, facilitates autonomous real-time trajectory planning, and provides pilot assistance for vehicles engaged in BVLOS operations in remote Canadian environments.