Tracking
Wakanda Beyond members identified the importance of tracking drone activity within the national airspace to ensure safety and security. Knowing who is flying and where, will help prevent collisions, increase adherence to no-fly zones, and allow for the detection of drone activity hot spots.
Tools & Resources
The following tools and resources are based on the experimentation, expert presentations, and discussions of the Wakanda Beyond process.
About
By having a tracking system in place, CAAs will have statistics about flight activity, allowing them to monitor and analyze who is flying, where flights are happening, and when they are occurring within their countries.
In order to meet these requirements, every flight must be transmitted to the CAA. Flight information can be shared with CAAs in two different ways:
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Post-flight tracking: After a flight has been conducted, the flight path and other relevant details about an operation should be sent to the CAA in a format that allows them to easily analyze and draw insights from the data.
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Live tracking: To support live tracking, every drone (and crewed aircraft) should have a unique ID and a device on board that transmits the real-time location, position, flight height, and speed to the CAA. The CAA then needs to have a system that can effectively display and monitor the fly using the shared information.
Why it is important
The ability to track drone activity is critical because:
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Tracking allows the CAA to know how the airspace is being used and by whom
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It will provide them with concrete statistics about how many flights are being conducted and for what purpose
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It will allow them to identify drone activity hot spots and take action when necessary
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They can be notified when drone operators violate rules and regulations (e.g. operate in no-fly zones)
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If members of the population complain about drone activity, they can easily identify the drone operators associated with the complaints.
Things to consider
Participants explored and assessed the utility of two different forms of track: post-flight tracking and live tracking.
Post-flight Tracking
Advantages
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Simple and straightforward
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Minimal technical demand
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Can be done on a routine basis ( e.g. once a month)
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This type of tracking is possible in areas with poor connectivity
Disadvantages
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No collision avoidance
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CAA cannot react in real time to airspace violations
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CAAs must rely on companies to upload accurate info in a timely manner
Live Tracking
Advantages
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Collision avoidance is possible
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Ilegal flights can be detected in real-time
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Measures can be taken to respond to airspace violations
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The CAA does not need to rely on companies actively uploading flight logs
Disadvantages
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Requires stable connectivity
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Robust technical solution is necessary on the side of the CAA (Internet bandwidth, powerful server, good display software, links to the registration database)
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System must be operational 24/7 with no power failure, etc.
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High to very high costs
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Ill-minded people will try to suppress live tracking
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Not all drones have the technical requirements necessary for live tracking
