Certiflight holds its Check Point meeting to define the next steps of the project

December 22, 2023

Certiflight has held this week its Check Point meeting to assess where it stands, when approximately half of the estimated duration of the project has elapsed.

The meeting was attended remotely by the Certiflight partners, representatives of the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA), which is funding the project, and the reviewers appointed by the Granting Agency.

This Check Point meeting is an important step because it marks the conclusion of the preliminary design tasks. The consortium is ready to start the final development of the different components of the Certiflight solution.

Timeline of the project outlining the Check Point milestone

The current status of implementation activities was presented during the meeting:

  • The first prototype of the UTM Box
  • The first revision of Certiflight SW platform
  • The status of GNSS algorithms implementation and training
  • The status of the interfaces with USSPs

First prototype of the UTM Box

TopView was in charge of presenting this point, highlighting the success of the first prototype of the UTM box, a central element of the project. There is a plan to continue advancing in its development by implementing new sensors and alternative GNSS processing HW.

The UTM Box mounted on the drone used for testing

Implementation of E-conspicuity and obstacle detection algorithms

The partner TU Delft detailed the data used by the Certiflight algorithms, where it gets it from and the next steps for its implementation.

Platform prototype with initial features

TSP explained during the meeting how the Certiflight portal works, detailing the benefits of the blockchain based incomparable, auditing and time stamping system, the operator portal available to end-users, and last, the certification portal, allowing third parties to verify the information certified by the platform.

GNSS APP and GSD algorithms

Way4ward described the activities carried out so far. These include the analysis of datasets originated by the drone flights, and the prototyping of the APP major components using Matlab.

Other technologies developed

The technical review was closed by TopView, describing the key steps completed in the development so far and the next steps planned for the future.

Update on Communication, Dissemination and Standardization activities

EuroUSC España highlighted the important achievement of Certiflight by including its services in the recently published ISO 23629-9:2023 standard – UAS Traffic Management (UTM).

The recognition by a relevant standard is of great importance for any research project, not only for its implicit validation of the work performed, but also because it ensures that the results of the project will be used widely by industry in the future.

In addition, Certiflight is also taking part actively in EUROCAE WG-105 SG-2 with the relevant standard expected to be published in 2024.

Manuel Oñate

General Manager - EuroUSC España

EuroUSC explained the dissemination strategy that is being developed to maximise the outreach of the project, showcasing the video produced to describe the first test flights and the articles created for the project website using clear language and easy-to-understand diagrams, such as those describing the Certiflight authenticity levels or the OSNMA authentication process.

Market and business activities update

The last item on the agenda was an update on the market and business activities, with a focus on the upcoming Cost-Benefit analysis document that will be ready in June 2024 and discussed and validated in the next meeting of the Advisory Board.

Next actions

To conclude the check point meeting, the next steps for the following months until the next project meeting were identified and discussed:

  • Launch of the implementation activities
  • Planning of the internal verification activities
  • Organization of the second Advisory Board
  • Organization of the TRR Meeting