A major plan for the construction of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for the public to control the movement of aircraft on public streets in the UK has been unveiled.
The plan will be presented to the public in a special session on January 18 at the IOT Summit, which will also feature the UK’s first ever IOT Challenge.
It aims to encourage public engagement in the design and development of technology to provide a means of autonomous vehicles on the roads, while also addressing the wider issue of the future of transport.
The IOT Project Plan outlines a plan for a UAV system that would be capable of carrying up to 150 passengers and the pilot would be able to direct the vehicle on a variety of locations.
The pilot would control the system remotely by voice, and would be allowed to see the surroundings at all times.
The project would be funded by the UK Transport Research Agency (UTRA), with funding from the Department for Transport, the Department of Transport and Innovation, the National Lottery and Government Digital Service.
IOT Project plan outline (in picture)The UK government has been keen to get the project underway, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling stating that the UK needs a new technology to replace traditional motorways, as well as a “world class” vehicle system that can be used to bring people together and provide security for people travelling in cities.
“I would say that a lot of people have said to us that we don’t need to have the new technology that is currently out there,” he said.
A UK government spokesman said: “This is a fantastic example of how we can harness the expertise of all our partners to make this project a reality.”
This is just one of a series of exciting new initiatives that the government is working towards, and we are proud to be part of this global effort to get IOT on the road.
“IOTA is the name of a proposed blockchain-based autonomous vehicle system which uses the IOTA cryptocurrency to allow for the transport of people and goods between different locations.
According to the Iota project, the system will have a network of more than 250 autonomous vehicles, each capable of transporting a maximum of 15 people and 15 items of value.
The pilot would operate the vehicle from a controlled location in London, and the system would be controlled remotely by a smartphone app.
With the UAV pilot able to access the IOTS mobile app, the pilot could also have access to a wider range of data such as weather conditions, road signs and traffic lights.
Although the pilot will be able control the vehicle remotely, the project proposes that the pilot must be accompanied by a partner who would be responsible for ensuring that the UAS pilot does not inadvertently crash the vehicle, as they could not be present when the crash occurs.
UAV pilot in LondonThe pilot pilot would have access, through a mobile app and smartphone app, to all of the data available to the vehicle.
When the pilot is at a location, they would have a number of tools to manage the UAW.
Once the UAU has completed its work, the vehicle would be ready to take off, which would allow the pilot to take control of the vehicle when the pilot has completed their work and then take off again.
It is hoped that the system could eventually be used for public transport as the pilot and partner would need to be present in order to maintain control of it.
To see more pictures from the event, visit this link: The IOTA Project Plan (In picture)
