SBIR/STTR Award attributes
KalScott has developed a unique system for improving the safety of unmanned air vehicles and air taxis (aka Advanced Air Mobility, ot AAM vehicles). This is a hardware/software solution which can transmit alerting messages about UAV operations in legacy VHF airband communication protocol so that the alert can be heard and understood readily by human pilots and air traffic controllers. In effect, this Automated Airband Radio (AAR) is a bridge between legacy (VHF) and emergent communication protocols (like WiFi, 4G/LTE, 5G, etc). In Phase I,nbsp;KalScott Engineeringnbsp;demonstrated proof-of-concept hardware in ground and flight testing. The system is based on a software-defined radio (SDR). Onboard is a processornbsp;which can take input from a GPS unit, co-relate that position on an aviation sectional chart, select the appropriate frequency for the airspace and compilenbsp;the appropriate message. This is then broadcast over VHF.nbsp;nbsp;In Phase I, VHF transmissions from the SDR-based Automated Airband Radio were received and understood by human pilots at ranges from 0 to 8 nm, at altitudes from 0 to 4000 ft AGL. Both air-to-ground and ground-to-air tests were completed successfully. This therefore is a quot;gap fillerquot; technology that can be used for high density, low altitude UAV and AAM operations, by providing alerting messages to proximal manned traffic. In Phase II, two rounds of prototype build/test will be performed. Data will be gathered to support FCC and FAA approvals. A US-first manufacturing plan will also be developed. KalScott has also secured matching funds for follow-on Phase 2 E and CCRPP projects for this technology.
