Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has launched a new project to boost public confidence in drones as urban air mobility (UAM) devices as part of a wider EU-led initiative.
Trinity will be leading the EU-wide project and consortium called Pegasus (Piloting European Green Air Mobility and Services for Urban Societal Readiness). It has been funded with €4.83 million by Horizon Europe.
According to the consortium, Pegasus aims to bring together researchers, city authorities, social scientists, air mobility operators and citizens to ensure that drones are technologically viable for urban areas and communities.
The project focuses on promoting public confidence in UAM devices, which includes small parcel delivery drones, larger cargo drones, electric vertical take-off aircraft as well as other advanced low-emission aerial vehicles.
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Pegasus will see the team at Trinity co-ordinate the Pegasus project with 18 partners from seven different EU countries.
As part of the project, Pegasus will test and showcase UAM devices in Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Bulgaria to explore how drones and other low-emission aircraft can be safely and effectively integrated into everyday life.
In Ireland, this will include demonstrations of drones by project partners Manna, Connect Robotics, TechnoSky and Dronamics at the Future Mobility Campus Ireland vertiport in Shannon.
Demonstrations are also set to take place in settings used by project partners, where there will be opportunities for the public to see the technologies in action and share their feedback.
In the long term, the project aims to develop tools to help decision-makers determine when and where drone services are likely to be accepted by the public, taking into account factors such as safety, noise and environmental impact.
TCD is responsible for overseeing the overall implementation of Pegasus across all participating countries, including project management, partner coordination and ensuring project objectives are delivered.
“Our cities need new mobility solutions,” said Dr John Kennedy, Pegasus co-ordinator and associate professor in vibrations, acoustics and dynamics in Trinity’s school of engineering.
“Traditional transport networks are under increasing pressure from congestion, growing demand for rapid deliveries and the urgent need to cut emissions.”
“UAM could help address these challenges, but only if it earns the trust of the people it is designed to serve,” Kennedy said.
