Projects
By air

For some time now, one of the focal points of the airline industry has been unmanned flying systems (drones). Drones can be applied for inspection, security and – in the near future – even delivery services (goods as well as people). They are expected to be a faster, less costly as well as more sustainable alternative to other means of transportation.

The market needs a clear regulatory framework in order to be able to develop drone technology and applications. The first matter that has to be researched in this context is how to integrate drones in regular air traffic, thus allowing both safe as well as autonomous air traffic.

In the Northern Netherlands and in collaboration with its partners, the DroneHub foundation is now testing and developing civil (un)manned drone applications. A key challenge here is how to integrate drones in regular air traffic. The development and implementation of drone technology and its applications requires a clear regulatory framework. Another key concern however – besides legislation, technical aspects and safety – is obviously public acceptance. To this end, we are now jointly exploring the preconditions for the implementation of unmanned drones in society.