The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has awarded the consortium led by Bureau Veritas together with Ineco, IATA and FRACS, a contract within the international cooperation project ARISE Plus (2018-2022), funded by the European Union. Ineco will participate as a lead drone expert by defining, implementing and following up on annual work plans, strategic guidance, training workshops, seminars, etc.

ARISE Plus (EU Regional Integration Support) is the second edition of an EU technical support programme aimed at strengthening trade relations with the countries of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam).

Ineco has been using drones for years and has been working on the development of advanced applications, such as the calibration of radio aids or the remote inspection of railway lines and structures. It also participates in European R&D&I projects such as TERRA (ground technologies), IMPETUS (information services) and DOMUS (flight demonstrations), and is currently involved in AMU-LED, which will study the safe use of drones in urban environments until 2023. The company is also part of the EUROCAE WG-115, which, together with its North American equivalent RTCA SC-238, focuses on defining technical requirements for drone detection and neutralisation systems.

DRONE-BASED RADIO NAVIGATION AID CALIBRATION SYSTEM Living up to expectations

Ineco, in an internal innovation project, has developed and successfully tested a system for calibrating radio navigation aids with drones that is cheaper, more manoeuvrable and more accessible than current systems, while maintaining accurate results. After three test campaigns and more than 60 flight hours, the system has demonstrated that it lives up to expectations.

Víctor M. Gordo, aeronautical engineer
Iván Beneyto, telecommunications engineer

Radio navigation aids (VOR, ILS, DME) are ground-based equipment that communicate with airborne aircraft via radio signals, thereby ensuring the safety of air navigation by providing the necessary positioning and guidance signals to keep aircraft adequately separated from the terrain and obstacles. In order to ensure that the functioning of the equipment remains optimal, certain parameters relating to the quality of the signal they emit, such as power, modulations, response delays, etc., must be regularly calibrated. This is currently done using aircraft crewed by specialist pilots and personnel.

There are several limitations to the use of manned flight that do not apply to the use of drones, or RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems). On the one hand, their costs are high and their availability is limited due to the fact that few aircraft of this type exist. This means that they can be heavily used and that equipment can only be checked from time to time, typically with one calibration per year and radio navigation aid. On the other hand, they have reduced manoeuvrability in the air and their presence has an impact on air traffic, making it difficult to carry out certain checks.

TEST CAMPAIGNS. In order to test the efficiency of the system, several test campaigns have been carried out at Logroño-Agoncillo and Vigo airports, as well as at several air navigation facilities around Madrid. / PHOTO_INECO

 Although it is not possible to fully replace manned flight today, since RPAS autonomy is limited and there is no integration with conventional aviation. This technology is poised to become operational as a maintenance support service to enable spot checks and increased spacing between calibration flights.

Over the last few years, Ineco has created its own system for calibrating radio navigation aids using these unmanned vehicles. The system consists of various on-board equipment (so that the drone can analyse the radio signal from the radio navigation aid and send the data back) and equipment on the ground (receiving station), in addition to the analysis and representation software that has been developed.

The platform used is a coaxial octocopter fitted with a Pixhawk 2.1 Cube autopilot system, offering a range of 30 minutes and capacity to carry a payload of up to 2 kg, equipped with GPS+Galileo+GLONASS and EGNOS Navigation system, as well as RTK (Real Time Kinematic) positioning. The on-board systems include antennas, an SDR, or software-defined radio, as well as a microcomputer that analyses the digitised RF signal to calculate the relevant radio navigation aid parameters. The ground system consists of two elements: an RTK base that corrects the drone’s position within a margin of error of centimetres, and a control station that manages all the system’s components.

In the image: Iván Beneyto, Ignacio Díaz de Liaño and Víctor Gordo. / PHOTO_INECO

Data is sent in real time via an MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) broker installed on Ineco’s servers. This broker broadcasts messages to clients via a publisher/subscriber arrangement with latencies of less than two seconds. The visualisation of this data, as well as its storage, is handled by a results console developed in NavTools, Ineco’s air navigation tools package. This console makes it possible to view the records obtained by the equipment on board the drone in real time, displaying how the parameters that define the correct operation of the radio navigation aid, such as the difference in depth of the modulations, power, alignment error, signal structure, etc., evolve along the flight path. The console can also be used to save the received data and to display and analyse the flown trajectory and the data obtained.

In order to assess the efficiency of the system, several test campaigns have been carried out at Logroño-Agoncillo and Vigo airports, as well as at several navigation facilities around Madrid (Perales de Tajuña, Navas del Rey, Castejón and Villatobas), where different types of aids, ILS (Instrument Landing System) and DVOR (Doppler Very-High-Frequency Omnidirectional Range) were tested by means of radial, vertical and horizontal flights, orbits and approaches depending on the type of radio navigation aid.

Display of results together with the position of the RPAS (in 3D) in real time, in the tool developed by Ineco. / IMAGE_INECO

The system has made it possible to record the typical parameters of these radio navigation aids, confirming that they were within the ranges established by ICAO for more than 95% of the time, thus complying with current regulations. The results obtained were also compared with those recorded by a conventional calibration aircraft, showing a high correlation, thus corroborating the correct operation of the system; laboratory tests were also carried out using a signal generator, confirming that the system can measure with an error of less than 1%.  The most important milestones during these tests are listed below:

• 3 test campaigns in an airport environment.
• 0 ATC incidents.
• More than 10 DVOR verifications.
• More than 10 ILS verifications (LLZ and GP).
• More than 60 cumulative flight hours.
• >95% of the time within ICAO limits.
• Verifications of up to 20 minutes.
• Approaches up to 2 km in length.
• Flights up to 120 metres high.
• Positioning error <1 metre.
• Real-time latencies <2 seconds. 

RESULTS VALIDATION. Comparison of drone radio navigation aid calibration results (blue) revealed a high correlation with those of a conventional aircraft (yellow), which corroborates the correct functioning of the system. / SOURCE_INECO

C-UAS: a reality check on rogue drones

Julia Sánchez, UAS specialist, EUROCONTROL

The unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drones) market is rapidly and significantly expanding. What started as an exclusively military domain is now aiming at the private and public civil sectors with numerous applications, that will create new jobs and economic benefits. However, the use of drones raises a number of issues: they can also be dangerous weapons and have become an attractive tool for terrorists and criminals. 

A growing phenomenon, is the number of incidents at and around airport facilities. Some actions have already taken place due to the potentially damaging effects of drones’ colliding with other airspace, disrupting aerodrome operations (e.g. such as the incidents at Barajas in February 2020 or Gatwick in December 2018), attacking critical and sensitive infrastructure (e.g. government buildings, nuclear power plants, urban areas) or even people on the ground.

As a consequence of this, the use of UAS has become a double-edged sword. The potential threat that drones pose to safety, security and privacy has led to the development of Counter UAS (C-UAS) measures to counteract any drone incursion into controlled and uncontrolled airspace. 

In Europe, the European Commission is committed to supporting EU member states in mitigating the threats posed by non-collaborative UAS, in line with the EU Action Plan to Support the Protection of Public Spaces, the European Commission’s counter-terrorism unit has created two interest groups: Protection of Public Spaces (PPS) and C-UAS,.

EASA’s (European Aviation Safety Agency) Counter-UAS Action Plan was included in the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS) in 2021. It concerns educating drone operators and pilots, raising awareness to prevent the misuse of drones around aerodromes, preparing aerodromes against drones’ incursions, advising aerodromes to consider those C-UAS measures necessary for ensuring the safety and security of aerodrome operations (airborne and ground), encouraging adequate incident reporting, and supporting the assessment of the safety risk drones pose to manned aircraft. The deliverable of the second objective of the Action Plan is a guidance manual called Drone Incident Management at Aerodromes, although only the first part is publicly available.

The European Commission is committed to supporting EU member states in mitigating the threats posed by non-collaborative UAS. EUROCAE has established the Work Group WG 115 in order to develop standards for the safe and harmonised implementation of anti-UAS systems at airports and ANSPs

Faced with these actions, there is also the necessity to choose the right C-UAS technology depending on the threat scenario. EUROCAE, the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment, has established the Work Group WG 115 in order to develop standards for the safe and harmonised implementation of anti-UAS systems at airports and ANSPs. These standards will describe the performance of the system (e.g. minimum level of detection required), interoperability and interfaces with stakeholders. EUROCAE WG 115 jointly with RTCA SC-238 Counter UAS published its first deliverable, the Operational Services and Environment Definition (OSED) for C-UAS in controlled airspace. The scope of this is to introduce the overall capability of a C-UAS system, including capabilities for the detection of unauthorised UAS. EUROCONTROL is highly involved in WG 115 and will continue to support it and contribute to future deliverables, that are expected to be published by the end of 2022.

As EUROCONTROL’s activities touch on operations, concept development, research, safety and security, and performance improvements, we are providing key services and contributing experts in the domain to C-UAS-related research projects from European Commission’s Directorates-General for Migration and Home Affairs and Transport (DG Home and DG Move); the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE), Work Group 115, as well as the international air transport (IATA) and airport associations (ACI).

Furthermore, there are also some limitations to C-UAS technologies in the aviation context, since might interfere with other systems currently in place. Interoperability must therefore be ensured with other systems (e.g. navigational aids, and primary and secondary radars at airports), as well as an interface with appropriate ATM and UTM (U-space) systems to enable the exchange of information necessary for the safe operations. Finally, any technical C-UAS solution must be complemented by procedural measures and clear protocols that depend on the threat level presented by the rogue UAS, to define who does what and when. The C-UAS should also be able to distinguish between authorised and unauthorised drones. A variety of technical C-UAS solutions and technologies are continually emerging. The selection of the right C-UAS depends on the features and specific characteristics of the environment. Actions in response to an illegal UAS, such as mitigation and neutralisation technologies, can carry important risks, and their deployment will fully depend on the national legislation of the country concerned. At the international level, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) mentions that countermeasures must never involve the use of force. Initiatives to improve C-UAS response capabilities could include the development of an official registry or database that allows the rapid classification of a drone as a threat, and the development of a catalogue of best practices when employing C-UAS to know which technology would be more suitable and how to use it, with a clear description of the chain of command to be followed and any legal advice that could be required depending on the type of threat.

Counter-drone systems to protect public safety

Enrique Belda, Deputy Director General of Information and Communications Systems for Security and Director of CETSE
José Cebrián, Chief Inspector of the R&D&I Area and Director of the SIRDEE Office
Manuel Izquierdo, Director of the SIGLO-CD Project

The technological growth in drones, the large number of commercial models and their multiple applications, together with the reduction of purchase and maintenance costs and the ease of operation and legislative development, mean that more and more public and private organisations, individuals and companies are using this type of aircraft. For this reason, the authorities must be prepared in two respects: as users, including the emergency services, and as guarantors of security, both by preventing their reckless use or non-compliance with the rules of manufacture, sale and use (safety), and by preventing their criminal use, in the most serious case, for terrorist attacks (security).

The Ministry of the Interior, and more specifically the Secretary of State for Security, has been working from two perspectives: the legal perspective, including collaborations, action protocols and agreements with other bodies, and the technological perspective, seeking and applying the best existing solutions both for fleet control and to prevent and, where appropriate, neutralise their malicious use.

The Security Technology Centre (CETSE) is the headquarters from the Subdirectorate General of Information and Communication Systems for Security (SGSICS). The R&D&I Area of the Subdirectorate is made up of two departments: R&D&I, European Projects and CoU (Community of Users), and Drones and Counter-Drones, SIGLO-CD Directorate (Global Counter-Drones System).

Enrique Belda, Deputy Director General of Information and Communications Systems for Security and Director of the CETSE, describes the centre as a “factory of technological solutions”, among them, the Global Counter-Drones System (SIGLO-CD). / PHOTO_MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR

In 2016, a working group was set up at the Secretary of State for Security focused on finding solutions to the malicious use of this type of aircraft. Following an analysis of the market, it was concluded that there are no global solutions to address all situations –most of them are isolated–, that there are many different scenarios with very different characteristics, that there is a lack of legislative regulation in counter-regulatory systems and that these systems may cause possible collateral damage. From the outset, the following phases were established to deal with a potential threat:

• Detection: something strange is detected, but initially it is not clear whether it is a drone, where it is going, what its intentions are, etc.
• Identification: discern whether it is indeed a drone and obtain as much data as possible from the drone, including the pilot’s position.
• Tracking: give indications of where it is going and possible intentions.
• Neutralisation: if necessary.
• Intelligence: all these phases must have a certain amount of intelligence to help the operator make decisions in real time.

In 2019, the Secretary of State for Security (SES) ordered the design and implementation of a technological platform to protect against allegedly unlawful acts (reckless flights or flights with illegal intent), as well as intrusions into personal space, use by organised crime and, in the most serious cases, possible terrorist actions. The Subdirectorate General of Information and Communication Systems for Security (SGSICS) was in charge of implementing the so-called Global Counter-Drones System (SIGLO-CD). 

In 2019, the Secretary of State for Security (SES) ordered the design and implementation of a technological platform to protect against alleged unlawful acts, as well as intrusions into personal space, use by organised crime and possible terrorist actions

On 11 July 2019, the Secretary of State for Security signed the emergency resolution declaring the procurement of a global system service. Phase 0 began with the aim of detecting, identifying and tracking commercial drones in the metropolitan area of Madrid and, if necessary, neutralising possible threats to State institutions located in the capital, such as the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Government Presidency, the Congress and the Senate, among others. From the outset, the system has been designed holistically, continuously evolving to adapt to constant technological innovations and to improve the detection, identification, tracking and neutralisation of the majority of drones, regardless of the technology they use. 

The client-server architecture is built around a central server (Headquarters) which transmits information to the different detectors via a virtual private network (VPN), through which the neutralisation equipment can be activated, if necessary. SIGLO-CD also has different sites or control centres from where suspected unauthorised drone flights are monitored, each of which has an assigned administrator. In the control rooms, users (advanced or end-users) can manage the information obtained by the detection systems covering the assigned surveillance areas, in accordance with the competences associated with their respective profiles.

ILLUSTRATION_DRON SILENT FLYER, COURTESY: HTTP://FLYGILDI.COM

Both detectors and neutralisers are considered as peripheral devices of the central server housed in the Security Technology Centre (CETSE), in order to provide its different users with drone detection, identification, tracking and neutralisation data in real time. It also stores information and manages communications.

The detection systems that were initially selected are passive, since they are deployed in an urban environment. They obtain the brand, model, serial number or tracking data of the most widespread commercial drones on the market. Its coverage radius is more than 15 km per antenna, which means that a few sensors can cover large areas.

Activity in the sector is constantly growing: in 2020, more than 7,500 drone flights were detected over the urban area of Madrid, of which almost 95% were of the brand DJI. By 2021, the figure had increased to more than 12,000 flights

Over the next three years (2022-2024), the global system is scheduled to be extended to most of the national territory, in order to manage different emergencies in a coordinated manner. It will also ensure compliance with U-Space standards. It is also collaborating with other institutions, such as the Spanish Professional Football League, with whom an agreement has been signed for the installation of detection and neutralisation systems in sports stadiums. 

Activity in the sector is constantly growing: in 2020, more than 7,500 drone flights were detected over the urban area of Madrid, of which almost 95% were of the brand DJI. By 2021, the figure had increased to more than 12,000 flights.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are extremely useful in many different sectors, including transport. Europe declared the initial services of its own GNSS, Galileo, in 2016. It represented an enormous step forward in terms of performance, quality and diversity of service, as well as offering independence and autonomy to its users.

Unlike the United States’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and China’s BeiDou (with which, on the other hand, it is interoperable), Galileo is the world’s first GNSS that is designed specifically for civil use and with different user groups and services (e.g. open, high-precision, authenticated, governmental, emergency/search and rescue, etc.) in mind. It also offers unprecedented levels of accuracy and signal quality.

European projects such as RAILGAP, in which Ineco is taking part alongside Adif and CEDEX, build on previous research into the use of GNSS positioning. / PHOTO_MITMA

In the railway sector, GNSS-based applications can be used to optimise logistics, improve the management of rolling stock, and offer information services to passengers. At the same time, they also offer an inexpensive means of improving safety and supervision, by making it possible to replace physical ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) balises with virtual equivalents. Using satellite positioning in conjunction with ERTMS will lower the cost of rolling out a system that the European Commission is currently deploying along the Continent’s main rail corridors –a task being coordinated by Ineco (see ITRANSPORTE 70)–, particularly with regard to regional lines and those with less traffic.

From physical balises to virtual ones

Along with Adif (Spanish Rail Infrastructure Manager), CEDEX (the Centre for Study and Experimentation in Public Works, which is part of MITMA, the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda) and a number of other international partners, in recent years Ineco has taken part in several European innovation projects designed to test and define the use of satellite technology in the railway sector.

To date, the tests that use trains in a real-world setting (such as the tests for the ERSAT GGC project in 2019; see ITRANSPORTE 68) have shown that Galileo is more suitable than the other systems. However, the technology still presents a number of technical hurdles that need to be overcome before commercial solutions can be brought to market. The geography of certain sections of line and the presence of elements such as tunnels, overpasses, natural obstacles and urban areas create so-called ‘shadow areas’ in the transmission of the GNSS signal, which in turn limits the operation of the virtual balises. There are also other problems derived from intentional interference, such as jamming or spoofing. However, the use of other technologies and navigation systems may help to resolve these issues.

The use of GNSS for railway operations depends to a large extent on the nature of the environment. For this reason, it is necessary to classify and identify the factors that contribute to operation under degraded conditions

The RAILGAP (RAILway Ground truth and digital mAP) project, which began in early 2021 and will continue until 2023, is a continuation of earlier research in this field. Part of the Horizon 2020 Programme and managed by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), RAILGAP is led by the Italian railway infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) and boasts numerous participants, including Radiolabs, Hitachi Rail STS, RINA, Trenitalia, ASSTRA, Adif, CEDEX, Ineco, DLR, Université Gustave Eiffel and Unife.

The project’s aim is to develop innovative, high-precision solutions that make it possible to obtain so-called ‘ground truth’ data and digital maps of the railway lines, which are essential in order to determine the trains’ positions efficiently and reliably. ‘Ground truth’ data will provide time-based geographical coordinates for the trains, along with dynamic variables such as speed and acceleration. To achieve this, it will be necessary to gather enormous amounts of train-related data, collected from various types of sensors, which will be used to improve mapping accuracy in ‘shadow areas’ such as urban areas, areas with lots of vegetation or trenches, etc.

The solutions proposed are based on the use of other sensors such as cameras, LIDAR and inertial measurements units, along with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, to improve the positioning capacity provided by GNSS in ‘shadow areas’. Inertial sensors are used to detect the forces acting on the train, which makes it possible to estimate its movement over time; while optical sensors (cameras and LIDAR), combined with AI systems, make it possible to calculate the train’s position relative to key elements located along the track. In turn, this enables the train to be positioned with pinpoint accuracy, under optimal conditions.

The 30 satellites (24 operational and six spares) that will make up the Galileo system once its full operational capability is reached (initial services began in 2016) will be able to locate receivers with a margin of error of less than one metre. Additionally, Galileo is interoperable with the United States’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and China’s BeiDou systems.

RAILGAP will help to make the ERTMS –as well as the monitoring and control systems for the modernisation of regional and local lines– more sustainable, thereby reducing energy consumption.

Ineco is taking part in all of the project’s eight work packages and will lead the process of calculating ‘ground truth’ based on a solution involving the hybridisation of sensors. It also plays a major role in identifying and characterising the optical sensors required by the project, particularly cameras and LIDAR sensors. The activities that comprise work package 7, which focuses on the implementation of the digital map, will also draw on Ineco’s experience in applying AI to images in order to identify key elements, as it has done in other projects for Adif.

To this end, Ineco will develop the algorithms that make it possible to use the images captured by optical and stereoscopic cameras to recognise relevant elements on the track and position them using advanced image processing techniques and AI.

For its part, Adif is also working on all of the work packages, as well as operating a test vehicle (as it did previously for the ERSAT GGC project). The Railway Interoperability Laboratory from CEDEX (which is a world leader in ERTMS; see IT32 and 53) will focus on the architecture of the equipment inside the train and on the data collection phase, as well as the integration of the data in the laboratory.

RAILGAP proposes the use of cameras, LIDAR sensors or inertial measurement units, along with AI technology, to improve GNSS positioning in ‘shadow areas’.

Previous projects

Ineco, Adif and CEDEX have previously taken part in other research and innovation projects with a focus on GNSS applications in railways, such as ERSAT GGC (2017-2019), which also formed part of the Horizon 2020 programme (see ITRANSPORTE 69), and GATE4RAIL (2018-2021), part of Shift2Rail, a sector-specific programme developed by the European Commission to promote innovation in the railway industry.

The aim of the ERSAT GGC project, which involved 14 companies from five European countries, was to study the implementation of satellite technology in the ERTMS using virtual balises. To achieve this, a methodology was defined and several software tools were developed in order to classify a railway line with a view to implementing virtual balises along the length of the track.
The project also included some trials spread across three countries (France, Italy and Spain), where input data was gathered and later fed into the classification tool.

Additionally, 2018 saw the launch of GATE4RAIL, which aimed to improve the virtualisation of ERTMS tests based on satellite positioning. Ineco formed part of the consortium that carried out the project, which was led by Radiolabs (Italy) and also included RFI (Italy), Ifsttar (France), M3Systems (Belgium), Unife (Belgium), CEDEX (Spain), Bureau Veritas Italia (Italy) and Guide (France). Together, the consortium members developed a platform comprised of three blocks: GNSS, train and track. The challenge was to perform a simulation with modules from each block, located in different countries. In this project, which came to an end in 2021, Ineco’s role focused on system architecture and defining scenarios, in addition to providing data on obstacles via the GNSS4RAIL tool.

Challenges facing the use of GNSS in the railway sector

THE TRAIN OF THE FUTURE? A driverless train transporting minerals for the multinational corporation Rio Tinto in Pilbara, Western Australia. / PHOTO_RIO TINTO

For the railway sector, the use of GNSS presents a number of challenges of both a technical and cross-cutting nature. Cross-cutting challenges include those related to protection, cyber-security, legislation and regulation, standardisation, and speed of implementation; while the technical challenges include issues such as dealing with interference, the multipath effect, the integrity of the satellite signal, the overcoming of communication ‘shadow areas’ such as tunnels and mountains, highly complex lines that incorporate forks and junctions, and more precise recognition of parallel lines and stations.

With regard to the future of GNSS in the railway sector, a number of short, medium and long-term milestones have been identified. The most immediate goal is to be able to locate trains with optimum precision, as this will make it possible to increase track capacity. Another milestone is the development of virtual balises based on the continuous transmission of PVT data, which will reduce costs. Forthcoming developments also include detection of movement of rolling stock while the on-board ETCS is disconnected (this is known as cold movement detection, or CMD).

Medium-term goals include the development of ERTMS Level 3, whose defining characteristic is moving-block signalling. This technology will greatly increase the current ability to manage line capacity.

Long-term milestones include driverless trains, although a number of initiatives in this area –such as the Rio Tinto Driverless Cargo Line in Australia– already exist. This driverless line, known as the ‘robot train’, incorporates 1,700 kilometres of track and 220 monitored locomotives. It records 12 GB of data traffic per day and uses automatic train detection logic based on ERTMS Level 2. Using this architecture, the multinational mining corporation Rio Tinto has developed predictive models that can detect potential failures in upcoming operations and recommend maintenance activities. As one would expect, final approval of these activities lies with the technical personnel.

Ineco has participated in an assisted driving test with 5G technology in the Cereixal tunnel on the A-6 in Lugo. The demonstration, which took place in May, is part of the 5G Galicia Pilot project promoted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, which also involves Telefónica, Nokia, Stellantis, CTAG and SICE.

During the test, the vehicle received information from the ‘smart’ tunnel, which had been equipped with 5G sensors that transmit data and images in real time: accident warnings, congestion, slow traffic, weather conditions outside, etc. Ineco developed the system that integrates and presents the information to the driver.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has contracted Ineco through a public tender to implement the BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology in construction projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is the company’s second BIM contract in the region in recent months, following the recent contract to provide a training course for experts from another multilateral financial institution, CAF (see ITRANSPORTE 71).

The objective of the consultancy is to generate a methodology to measure the economic, performance and management impacts and results of BIM implementation in construction sector projects. The contract is for a period of five months and includes the implementation of three pilot projects.

Nowadays, air traffic controllers and pilots need to send and receive accurate and reliable information in order to operate safely. To do so, they use communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) systems. These systems work by transmitting and receiving suitably modulated radio frequency signals that propagate by spatial wave, that is, by direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver, in order to track the position of aircraft and to guide or direct their movement from one point to another in a safe, smooth and efficient manner. The information provided by these systems is therefore essential for the design of flight procedures, which establish the trajectory that aircraft must follow in order to avoid collision with each other or with any element in the environment.

However, the presence of obstacles on the ground in the vicinity of such equipment can cause signal fading or amplification, and, in general, overlaps and distortions in the information transmitted. In recent decades, these effects are becoming more pronounced, as increasing urban and industrial development is taking place in airport environments, leading to the emergence of high obstacle densities in the vicinity of CNS systems.

Automating data entry saves time, improves efficiency and reduces the possibility of human error

Simulation studies to assess impact on radio systems analyse the disturbances that physical obstacles can cause in radio wave transmission. Their analyses are vital for air navigation because they enable identification of those that are incompatible with the proper functioning and/or performance of the systems, ensuring that aircraft take-off, flight and landing operations are carried out correctly. Ineco boasts a long list of national and international simulation projects to assess effects on CNS radio systems, with more than three thousand studies done.

It is from within this context that the main motivation for this innovation project, developed in 2020, arises. Engineering specialists need software tools to assess the impact of obstacles and terrain on the performance of these systems in a quantitative manner that is as close to reality as possible, enabling them to evaluate key aspects of the design of flight procedures, such as the coverage and signal quality of CNS equipment.

In particular, to assess the impact on pulsed systems, Ineco developed the Impulse tool (currently integrated into Navtools), which, as a first approach to this problem, was capable of carrying out a qualitative analysis of the impact on primary and secondary surveillance radars, and DME equipment.

In the new innovation project developed at Ineco, which will have a final version from the first quarter of 2021, a major step forward has been taken by replacing the initial qualitative studies with quantitative studies modelling the real signals emitted by equipment and aircraft for primary and secondary surveillance radars and for DME (Distance Measuring Equipment). In this way, by considering real radiation patterns, encoding and decoding the pulses and taking into account multipath effects caused by terrain and obstacles in the environment, it is possible to carry out much more precise and detailed studies than those carried out so far (qualitative analysis only). New functionalities have also been incorporated in DME stations, such as the calculation of the distance error committed, power losses, system decoupling, etc. The implementation of all these new functionalities makes it possible to address studies that until now could not be undertaken analytically and were resolved qualitatively or by expert judgement. Likewise, having such a powerful tool in air navigation for the study of pulsed systems strongly positions Ineco both in the national and international market when carrying out aeronautical safety studies, radioelectric impact studies or procedure design.

Four European cities –Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Cranfield in the United Kingdom, Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands– will serve as test sites for the AMU-LED urban drone project, which forms part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme and the SESAR (Single European Sky) initiative.

Ineco is a member of the consortium of 16 companies and organisations, led by Everis, that is managing the project, which began in January. Its fellow members include: Airbus, AirHub, Altitude Angel, ANRA Technologies, Boeing Research & Technology-Europe, FADA-CATEC, Cranfield University, EHang, ENAIRE, Gemeente Amsterdam, ITG, Jeppesen, NLR, Space53 and Tecnalia.

Over the next two years, more than 100 hours of flight time will be logged for different types of drones, scenarios and applications, including:  air taxis, cargo transport, delivery of medical equipment and goods, infrastructure inspection, police surveillance and emergency services support. The results will make it possible to evaluate the impact of unmanned vehicles on urban mobility, while providing information that is of great use to regulatory authorities.

Ineco continues to participate in the development and spreading of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology. At the end of January, the company gave an online training course on BIM for the staff at the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). The course focused on the management of BIM projects by public administrations, and provided insight into different experiences of implementing BIM in different countries in Latin America, Europe and the rest of the world.

In addition, the work group at the Railway Innovation Hub, an innovation-oriented conglomerate of Spanish businesses, has completed the drafting of the BIM classification for the rail sector. Ineco and Grant Thornton have led the group since 2019. For the first time, this new system will standardise and categorise all of the elements in the subsystems of the railway network, so that they can be incorporated into BIM models.

In order to contribute to innovation in the rail sector, the outcome of this collaboration has been placed in the public domain. In addition to Ineco and Grant Thornton, those taking part in the project include Abengoa-Inabensa, Actisa, Akka, Apogea, Ayesa, Azvi, Belgorail, Cemosa, Comsa, Dassault Systèmes, Enyse, FCC Construcción, Ferrovial, Ingeniería In Situ, Sdea Solutions, Sener, Siemens, Sistem, the Cetemet and Tecnalia technology centres, and the Madrid Association of Civil Engineers. Nearly 100 companies form part of the Railway Innovation Hub, which is dedicated to promoting innovation in rail services.

An Instrument Flight Procedure (IFP) sets out the manoeuvres and trajectory that an aircraft must follow to safely enter and exit airports, avoiding obstacles.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which is responsible for promoting the safety, efficiency economics of international air transport, considers instrument flight procedures to be an essential component of the aviation system. It is therefore essential that these procedures be designed to meet strict quality requirements, such as those contained in the Quality Assurance Manual for the design of flight procedures. The European Commission, within the framework of the Single European Sky, has also published a specific regulation, ADQ (Aeronautical Data Quality) which complements and reinforces the requirements defined in ICAO Annex 15.

In order to meet all of the quality requirements of international standards, specific software tools are required, in order to automate the design process and ensure the accuracy, precision and integrity of the aeronautical information on which air navigation depends. This is the context for EOS, a new software product developed entirely by Ineco as a corporate tool for the design of flight procedures. Following the completion of the development and internal validation phase in December 2019, EOS is ready to be put into production flight procedures based on area navigation (RNAV) as well as on conventional navigation.

What is EOS?

In order to design an instrument flight procedure, a set of areas and surfaces associated with the nominal track of an aircraft are defined, where existing obstacles and terrain are assessed with an appropriate Minimum Obstacle Clearance (MOC).

EOS reliably and efficiently performs these spatial geometric calculations, combined with a GIS and a 3D visual interface. The application is also capable of assessing whether terrain obstacles and elevations could affect the flight safety of an aircraft following that associated nominal trajectory. These trajectories may be those corresponding to departure manoeuvres (SID), arrivals (STAR), approaches (APP), ATS routes and holding procedures.

It is a desktop application, developed in Java within the NavTools suite also created by Ineco, for the management and use of digital terrain models (DTM), and is compatible with other proprietary tools for the study of rights of way, radio conditions and CNS systems in the airport environment. It is supported by the GIS developed by NASA, (NASA WorldWind) using highly accurate digital terrain and surface models to recreate each scenario.

An example of a conventional approach with a guidance section based on a DME arc.

Project development

EOS was developed as an internal innovation project by a multidisciplinary team, made up of aeronautical, telecommunications and computer engineers, with extensive experience in IFP design spanning more than 10 years.

In very broad terms, air navigation, since its origins, has evolved from being strictly visual to relying more and more on technology as it evolved, making instrument navigation possible. At the start of the 21st century, the multiplication of specifications, systems and equipment, as well as increasing airspace congestion, made it necessary to move towards the unification of standards.

The geometric aids to support the construction of the protection areas.

Consequently, area navigation or RNAV has given way to a new concept promoted by ICAO since 2008: PBN, or performance-based navigation, as opposed to sensor-based navigation, i.e. physical equipment (VOR, DME, ILS, NDB, etc.). PBN has been increasingly used by air navigation service providers around the world for the development of new instrument procedures because it facilitates their design and enhances the utilisation of aircraft capabilities.

As the specifications for the design of flight procedures were developed along with the PBN concept, shortcomings in the commercial tool in use at Ineco became apparent. This led to the development of a new proprietary tool, EOS, which, in addition to providing new features, allowed for a faster implementation of changes.

The project was implemented and managed using the software development methodology implemented at Ineco, CMMI level 3. It complies with the ADQ (Aeronautical Data Quality) since it is based on the AIXM 5.1.1 standard (aeronautical information exchange model, see IT 70) that is required internationally.

The EOS project developed by Ineco was chosen as the winner of the 5th edition of the company’s Innova Awards. EOS is a unique piece of software on the market, a comprehensive and efficient tool for the design of flight paths and procedures followed by aircraft to safely take off and land at airports. Its development is the result of collaboration between teams of aeronautical, computer and telecommunications engineers.

It uses spatial geometric calculations, integrated with a GIS developed by NASA and a 3D visual interface, for the calculation of safe flight procedures. It complies with ICAO air navigation regulations and is constantly being developed and updated.

Ineco’s Innova Awards annually recognise in-house projects for their contribution to the development of new knowledge, encouraging innovative initiatives within the company.