Air Mobility Simulator Will Help Guide UAS Deployment

Posted: Apr 19, 2024

Researchers at the University of Utah developed a web-based platform, named the Utah Advanced Air Mobility Simulator (UAAMS) to enable researchers, planners, and practitioners to record and update assumptions about the distribution of vertiports, traffic, population, and other requirements that may affect the operation of the transportation network. These parameters are important, not only for considering the feasibility of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) package delivery within the state, but also for determining the impact and ultimately the efficient operation of drone delivery. UAAMS allows UDOT to assess different assumptions of the model and run "what-if" scenarios by generating animations of the optimized airspace network. The UAAMS platform provides the state with more clarity about the energy impacts of large-scale drone delivery, as well as a viable airspace network. The tool can further inform the UDOT Division of Aeronautics to develop policies and negotiate with industry stakeholders.

Xiaoyue Cathy Liu, Ph.D.
University of Utah

Strategic Deployment of Drone Centers and Fleet Size Planning for Drone Delivery in Utah
MPC-24-512