ANRA Technologies recently announced it has successfully completed its two-year role within the ‘Care & Equity, Healthcare Logistics UAS Project’ (CAELUS), funded by UKRI, reports a press release.
This two-phase initiative (CAELUS 1 & 2) focused on advancing airspace integration and delivery management services for drones delivering medical products for the NHS Scotland, “paving the way for scalable, safe and efficient drone operations in the UK,” explains the release.
ANRA’s role is supporting the development and validation of airspace management solutions using Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) and delivery management systems. The release continues, “The company’s cutting-edge Delivery Management System (DMS), integrated with its UTM platform, enabled complex Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) medical delivery operations, connecting key stakeholders such as NHS Scotland, delivery drone operators, and end users.”
Highlights
Enhancing NHS Operations
ANRA’s DMS facilitated seamless coordination between NHS customers, suppliers and drone operators, validating the system’s ability to support critical medical use cases.
Participation in Four CAELUS Trials
ANRA supported and participated in major trials across Scotland, including Glasgow Airport, Crosshouse to Arran, Edinburgh to the Borders and Aberdeen to Elgin.
UTM-ATM Interoperability Solutions
Leveraging its expertise in open interoperability standards, ANRA developed and tested UTM-ATM interoperability solutions during the Crosshouse and Aberdeen trials. These tests showcased the ability to integrate drone operations within existing air traffic management (ATM) frameworks.
The CAELUS Project achieved several critical milestones. Notably, ANRA’s UTM platform was successfully integrated into the project’s Concept of Operations (ConOps), establishing a solid foundation for future airspace management frameworks.
Additionally, the Project demonstrated the execution of complex BVLOS operations, with ANRA’s DMS, enabling seamless data exchanges with ATM systems. This capability ensured efficient and safe drone flights in highly regulated airspace, as showcased during the Crosshouse and Aberdeen trials.
Dr. Ajay Modha, Head of Business UK at ANRA Technologies, commented, “The successful trials and demonstrations highlight how our solutions can enable scalable, safe and efficient drone operations, particularly in critical use cases like healthcare.”
The release states, “One of the project’s most notable achievements was completing the UK’s longest onshore BVLOS drone flight. The operation featured two segments, with an intermediate landing at a charging station, managed entirely through ANRA’s integrated DMS and UTM solutions.”
Adding, “This accomplishment demonstrates ANRA’s commitment to enabling reliable drone operations for essential services and their interoperability with multiple technology partners.”
Dr. Ajay Modha
The Project’s success represents a major step forward in realising the potential of drones to improve healthcare delivery, reduce transportation times and improve patient outcomes in the UK and beyond.
ANRA’s other partners during both the CAELUS 1 and 2 Projects included AGS Airports, Dronamics, Skyports, NATS, Arup, Connected Places Catapult and Atkins.
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