1. Brief Introduction to ASSURE & ARDC Mississippi Airports Association
Colonel,USAF (Retired) Steve ‘Lux’ Luxion, ASSURE Associate Director

2. UAS Will Change our Lives

3. UAS Challenges MS understands this industry well [Read slide]
The graph, from a 2013 AUVSI study, shows the projected economic impact for Mississippi. This projects the industry would have about a $20M impact on the state’s economy in 2015 and grow to about $60M in Based on our current manufacturing base, planned expansions, and recruitment efforts, we believe this is very conservative.
Winning a Test Site would compound that impact even more.
We have been coordinating with the Congressional delegation ever since this opportunity was put into law
We started talking to our local partners and potential team members last year, and hired a consultant to help us prepare for the competition

4. Difference of Cultures
Regulators
Ultimately responsible for safety of system
Methodical
Data driven
Can be seen as “Bureaucratic”
Industry
Ultimately responsible to return on investment
Agility – first to market
Technology driven
Can be seen as “Cowboys”
Public

5. SAFE & RELIABLE ACCESS TO THE NAS
ASSURE
- Regulations
- Standards
- Guidance
SAFE & RELIABLE ACCESS TO THE NAS
Industry
FAA
Concepts of Ops
Use profiles
Technology
Expertise
Resources
3rd Party Research
People
Systems
Operations
Data/Info/Recommendations
ASSURE

6. What is ASSURE?
Long title: The Alliance for System Safety of UAS Through Research Excellence - The Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Systems
Short title: The FAA’s Drone Research Center
COEs are “entities with substantive ties to universities which advance the state of transportation knowledge within a particular aviation area
FAA William J. Hughes Tech Center manages COEs
COE’s get two funding vehicles
Grants (mandatory 1-to-1 cost share)
IDIQ Contracts (cost share negotiable)
23 Schools, 100+ companies – big team for a big job!

7. ASSURE University Team

8. ASSURE Certified Industry Partners

9. ASSURE Research Projects
sUAS Certification
DAA for BVLOS
A-A Collisions
A-G Collisions
Mx, Mod, Repair…
DAA Systems (TCAS, ADS-B, Radar) Criticality
Human Factors (HF)
Noise Study
Secure/Reliable C2
HF-Control Station Design Standards
Part 107 Waiver Case Study
Detection of sUAS Near Airports
UAS for STEM ….

10. ARDC – Our 501(c)3 ASSURE Research & Development Corporation (ARDC)
501(c)3 Non-Profit – Solve problems / seek opportunities outside work for the FAA
Another mechanism to conduct FAA/Gov’t work
Leverages
ASSURE Alliance and its relationships
Knowledge and experience gained from FAA research
With only one contract and NDA, if required, with ARDC
ARDC does the rest to leverage our ASSURE teammates to best meet the needs of the sponsor

11. Thank You www.ASSUREuas.org Sluxion@ASSURE.misstate.edu ASSUREuas

12. Quick Thoughts: Challenges
Regulatory risk (ASSURE Primary Focus)
Assess to National Airspace System
Rules, regulations and guidelines
People (training & certification)
Systems (certification)
Operations (type certifications)
Technology Risk – rapid change
Think early aviation combined w/speed of technological innovation
Opportunity !
Operational Structure & Costs
Internal program v. hiring services company

13. Quick Thoughts: Seizing Opportunities
Only limited by the power of creative solutions
Cheaper (Helo Flight Hour Cost $2K/Hr vs. UAS)
Faster
Safer
Hardware
Trucks
Sensors
Software: It’s all about DATA
Planning
On-board systems
Processing the data (on & off board)
Aggregating the data: MetaData

14. Back Up Slides

15. What is ASSURE?
Long title: The Alliance for System Safety of UAS Through Research Excellence - The Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Systems
Short title: The FAA’s Drone Research Center
COEs are “entities with substantive ties to universities which advance the state of transportation knowledge within a particular aviation area
FAA William J. Hughes Tech Center manages COEs
COE’s get two funding vehicles
Grants (mandatory 1-to-1 cost share)
IDIQ Contracts (cost share negotiable)
23 Schools, 100+ companies – big team for a big job!

16. ASSURE Executive Board

17. Current Research

18. FAA Funded ASSURE Research (1/5)
Validate small UAS (sUAS) ASTM standards – Kansas State (A1)
Validate industry-consensus ASTM F-38 standards
Develop detect and avoid (DAA) to enable sUAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations under specific operational limitations (A2) – UND/NMSU
Can we find a way to expand portions of the NAS to enable sUAS ops under specific limitations?

19. FAA Funded ASSURE Research (2/5)
Air to air collision (A3) – Wichita State/OSU
What happens in a UAS impact? Engine ingest?
Air to ground collision (A4) – Alabama Huntsville/MSU
How big can a UAS be before it’s a hazard to people?

20. FAA Funded ASSURE Research 3/5)
sUAS maintenance standards/cert.(A5) – KSU/Embry
What are maintenance requirements?
What is tracked & how/where?
How do you train sUAS maintenance personnel?
ASI & Repair Station Certifications?
Accident reporting requirements/details?
Surveillance criticality for DAA (A6) – NC State
Can we use current surveillance equipment (transponders, ADS-B, TCAS) for UAS DAA?

21. FAA Funded ASSURE Research (4/5)
Human factors (A7) - Drexel
Which functions should – or shouldn’t – be automated in UAS control? What are the minimum design standards for UAS control stations? - Drexel/OSU
UAS operator training/certification – UND
How do you train/certify UAS operators on this system?
Visual observer training/certification - NMSU
How do you train/certify UAS visual observers on this system?
UAS Noise Study (A8) – MS State/WSU
Are UAS Noisy?
What should noise standards should the FAA set?

22. ASSURE FY 17 Research (5/5) Minority STEM outreach – Tuskegee/NM State
UAS to teach STEM to disadvantaged youths
Secure C2 & Spectrum Management (A9) (OSU)
What should standards be for secure & reliable C2?
Human Factors: UAS CS Cert & Procedures (A10) (ERAU)
What are minimum standards for UAS control stations?
Low Alt. Safety: Part 107 Waiver Request Study (A11)
For Ops over people: how to apply for waiver?
What are mitigations and how are they certified?

23. Part 107 Mitigation New rules for commercial uses of <55 lbs drones
Operational limitations (daylight, not over people…)
Visual LOS Ops Over People
Requires Waiver
ASSURE Project A4 Research
Air-to-Ground Severity Study
Based on results of research thus far
Recommending waiverable mitigations
Developing / recommending process for evaluating mitigation
With approval: put process in place by or as close to as possible end of August
Data also used by Micro-UAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee

24. ASSURE FY 17 Research (Likely)
Air-to-Air Collision Studies Follow-on (WSU)
Engine ingest (OhSU)
UAS v. Rotorcraft and Private Aircraft
Air-to-Ground Studies Follow-on (UAH)
Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for sUAS BVLOS Ops over Populated Areas (ERAU)
UAS Lithium Battery Impact Studies
Parachute studies
sUAS Detection Near Airports (MSU)
Evaluating different technological solution types
Slew of other current research follow-on studies

25. ASSURE Research Fueling Change
Expertise
22 Universities & 100+ Industry partners
Core to three FAA UAS Test sites
Experience
ASSURE UAS inventory: 340 – USAF: 316
Only the DoD flies more UAS yearly than ASSURE
Knowledge gained from on-going research
Influence
200+ locations in 13 states, nine countries
Minority outreach to African-American, Native American, Hispanic populations
On 14 different FAA/Int’l rule-making committees

26. Working with ASSURE Collaborate with ASSURE partners
Join ASSURE
Annual Membership: $1,3, or 5K
Participate & influence research
Public reports released by the FAA
ASSURE Research & Development Corporation (ARDC)
501(c)3 Non-Profit – Solve problems / seek opportunities outside work for the FAA
Leverages
ASSURE Alliance and its relationships
Knowledge and experience gained from FAA research