The High Tech Campus in Eindhoven will soon be the first place in Europe to be allowed to test autonomous drones. The drones will deliver parcels, mail and meals, among other things.
The European Commission has awarded the three-year research project 'Flying Forward 2020' to a consortium of companies, government institutions and universities. There will also be test sites in Finland (Oulu), Estonia (Tartu), Italy (Milan) and Spain (Zaragoza). "In this project, we will test, among other things, the delivery of parcels, mail and meals," said Paul van Son, Innovation Manager at the High Tech Campus. "But the drones can also play an important role in securing our grounds and monitoring buildings and sustainability."
The High Tech Campus wants to explore two major issues with the project. "The first is how we can use drones to autonomously monitor the campus, for example on safety and sustainability aspects," Van Son explains. "The other is to start delivering parcels and meals more efficiently."
Digital twin
A 3D digital infrastructure (digital twin), yet to be developed, should enable the deployment of autonomous drones on campus. "This will allow us to manage our airspace in real-time. In this infrastructure, for example, we will record where drones are allowed to fly and where they are not, but the drones and algorithms will also be given a digital identity so that we know who is responsible for what."
The technical coordination of the project is in the hands of Serendipity. Managing Partner Jonas Onland: "In the digital twin, all data come together: how busy is it on campus, what is the state of buildings, how is the biodiversity of the terrain? This infrastructure enables the High Tech Campus to proactively manage the campus, plan scenarios and predict what maintenance is needed in the future. To visualise this, we use techniques such as VR and AR."
First tests by the end of 2021
Van Son does not expect it will soon be swarming with drones over the campus. "No. Instead, this project will explore how drones can improve the quality of our lives. We have this completely under control, which allows us to safely test and investigate in what ways drones can be a positive addition in our society in the future." The first tests with the drones at the High Tech Campus are expected by the end of 2021.
Image: www.hollandfoto.net / Shutterstock.com
