

Alan Brooke, Technical Lead on UAS, Centre for Applied Science and Technology, Home Office UK
From: Civilian UAVs: Practical Challenges and Regulatory Implications, Theme 1: Autonomy, certification and airworthiness, London
28 March 2012 Transport channel
>> Play webcastThe civilian applications of UAVs are now being explored at an ever increasing rate with fully autonomous systems opened up to a huge potential community. While military UAVs operate in a pre-determined airspace, civilian UAVs fly in an open, non-segregated one.
The problem is that currently there is a gap in the regulatory framework for the autonomous operation of UAVs in a non-segregated space. If UAVs are to be routinely used in a civil airspace then, along with practical end-user problems, it is important to address autonomy, regulation and certification issues.
Key themes of the seminar include:
* Certification and regulation of UAS including a UK Civil Aviation Authority view on the future of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
* Addressing the safe integration of UAVs in the European airspace
* Autonomy, challenges for operational sense and avoid systems
*Safety, security and UAS communications systems
* Potential applications and benefits for a commercial and public sector
* Summary panel discussion: what engineers can do to improve the public's perception of the UAVs in the civil space?
Technical Lead on UAS, Centre for Applied Science and Technology, Home Office UK