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3.0 the Autonomous Transportation System (ATS)

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3.0 the Autonomous Transportation System (ATS) 3.0 The Autonomous Transportation System (ATS) Concept The world is on the cusp of a completely new mode of transportation using electric powered, networked, fully autonomous vehicles. A new Autonomous Transportation System (ATS) is needed to facilitate this transformation within the U.S., to include standards for the development, manufacture and operation of autonomous Aerial Vehicles (AVs) and Ground Vehicles (GVs). This document proposes strategic-level standards for the ATS and for autonomous AVs and GVs, to enable safe, secure, reliable and swift transport of cargo and human passengers. Further, it proposes standards to safely incorporate traditional manually operated ground vehicles, pilot-controlled aircraft, and smalls drones into the system – initially and perpetually. Topics, features, and design solutions presented in this document are the proposed strategic- level standards. The proposed new ATS includes the people, facilities, and hardware/software (HW/SW) required to manage, operate, and monitor all GVs operating on the ground, and all AVs operating within the authorized public airspace. The standards will ensure cargo, passengers, and people and property on the ground are kept safe, now and into the future. OVER’s vision and intention is that this proposed ATS be discussed and revised as necessary by transportation and aerospace industry experts, government experts (DOT, FAA, etc.), and the American public. Once revised, it can provide a baseline for final standards to govern the design, production, integration and operation of large, fully autonomous GVs traversing public roads and AVs flying within the public airspace. The final ATS will ensure that all autonomous GVs/AVs are safe, secure, reliable and fully compatible with the HW, SW, networking and communication requirements, regardless of manufacturer, or will not be allowed to operate. OVER’s operational concept for GVs and AVs is not “modular”, as compared to the Airbus “Pop.Up” concept. The Pop.Up concept uses a passenger capsule, which can be attached to or New OVER Passenger Aerial Vehicle (PAV) concepts, with curved glass ceiling panels and powerful, quiet “future” engines. The Ramp, Platform and Bridgeplate System (RPBS) is shown in the extended position, docked to the AV, to provide level entry/exit for passengers with wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, rolling luggage, etc. Copyright© 2018 OVER LLC. All Rights Reserved Page 1 detached from battery-powered ground modules (wheeled frames for ground travel) and electrically propelled air modules (air frames having eight counter-rotating rotors). The modular passenger capsule transforms from an airborne platform into a city car by simply attaching it to the ground module, or vice versa. The modular Pop.Up concept is Airbus’ answer for how to move thousands of people around a city every day, without having to transition from a GV to an AV, or vice versa. However, the modular Pop.Up concept is less efficient and probably more expensive than the OVER approach. Multiple ground modules would be unusable by customers while waiting for a capsule on an air module to arrive, and multiple air modules would be unusable by customers while waiting for a capsule on a ground module to arrive. In contrast, the OVER concept of dedicated non-modular GVs/AVs enables loading and operation immediately after arriving passengers unload. The OVER approach is more effective and efficient, as customers won’t have to wait for an empty passenger capsule to be attached to an available ground or air module, but will find more availability with shorter wait times. Further, the OVER concept parking garages and patent pending Aerial Vehicle Autonomous Anchoring and Powering System (AVAAPS) will accommodate a variety of AVs of different sizes and shapes, from other manufacturers. The Airbus concept will only work with other AVs having the exact same size and shape as the Pop.Up. The one drawback to the OVER approach is that customer will have to transition from a GV to an AV, or vice versa, as required. Further, the cost of manufacturing and operating a non-modular system, as compared to modular, should be less expensive due to fewer wasted resources and less wasted time, resulting in more trips for customers and more revenue. This document also proposes that customers will be able to order seamless transportation using GVs and/or AVs from point A to point B, with a single request/payment via a proposed mobile application called the “ATS APP” – regardless of vehicle manufacturer. It is anticipated that many passengers would be provided curb-to-curb transport using GVs before and after an AV flight. New OVER Cargo Aerial Vehicle (CAV) concepts, with powerful, quiet “future” engines, but no glass ceiling panels, windows, or seats. The RPBS is shown in the extended position, docked to the AV, to provide level entry/exit for cargo customers using dollies, or rolling carts, racks, or tubs. Copyright© 2018 OVER LLC. All Rights Reserved Page 2 The entire trip would be one convenient auto-debit price/transaction to the customer (through the ATS APP), even though the fare revenue may be divided appropriately between various manufacturers. The ATS APP would operate on both android and Apple mobile devices, as well as PC-based and Apple laptop/desktop computers. Technologies and systems for medium/large Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) AVs are currently being developed and tested worldwide, and some systems are fully operational. For example, the Chinese company EHang and the German company Volocopter began aerial passenger taxi services in Dubai in 20181. (To gain an appreciation of the volume of electric- powered VTOL AVs currently being designed, developed or operated, see Appendices 1-3 for a brief synopses and image of 70+ designs. Also see Appendix 4 for 11 autonomous shuttle-bus type ground vehicles). Because so many systems and components are available now, and because various companies are already developing and manufacturing AVs and GVs, the U.S. government needs to endorse, promote and establish a new, national, standardized, networked ATS now, to facilitate the safe commercial use of these technologies in the U.S. This document also proposes that the U.S. government should partner with industry, academia, and the scientific and engineering communities to spearhead a National ATS Initiative to develop and establish the final standards, and promote continual research, development, and testing of HW/SW to support and meet the final standards of the new ATS, and various GVs and VTOL AVs. This discussion of the ATS focuses on the proposed system-wide features and benefits needed to manage, assign, and monitor all AVs operating within the public airspace at any given time (which would eventually be in the millions). It also focuses on the proposed system-wide features and benefits needed to manage, assign, and monitor all autonomous GVs operating on public roads. For the ATS to function safely and effectively, every AV (manned or unmanned) must communicate and operate in an identical manner, and every GV (manned or unmanned) must communicate and operate in an identical manner, regardless of manufacturer. It’s anticipated that only Cargo Aerial Vehicles (CAVs) will be allowed to operate in the ATS on day one of operations, which will provide the government, industry and the general public time to evaluate whether the aerial operations are safe, secure, and reliable. Once proven and authorized by the government, Passenger Aerial Vehicles (PAVs) will begin operations. The ATS and the vehicles themselves must therefore meet standards from the very beginning that ensure safe, secure, reliable and swift travel for humans. It is not the intention of this document to address the government’s oversight of the ATS, although it would fall under the responsibility of the DOT and FAA. However, it is important for government to realize the inherent benefits from providing oversight. These benefits include the ability to monitor and track every autonomous AV flight and GV ride, all cargo being transported, and every passenger on-board, in real time. The government will have the ability to exert overriding control over any AV/GV, as appropriate, and direct it to another GPS location. The OVER concept GVs are designed to safely travel on existing roads using GPS-based mapping/routing, two (redundant) independent collision avoidance systems, and swarm-type technologies. Once fully developed, these systems will enable collision-free, concurrent operation of both autonomous and traditional driver-controlled vehicles on any mapped road. 1 https://www.seeker.com/dubai-to-launch-worlds-first-aerial-drone-taxi-service-2266163132.html Copyright© 2018 OVER LLC. All Rights Reserved Page 3 Similarly, the OVER concept AVs are designed to use GPS-based mapping/routing, two (redundant) independent collision avoidance systems, and swarm-type technologies. The primary means to ensure collision-free flight is OVER’s concept of pre-scheduled flight paths (hereinafter referred to as “Time-Paths”), which reserve a sphere of safe airspace in future time for each AV, throughout flight. The time-path system alone ensures that no AV will ever be approved to fly a route that is too close to any other AV. Further, AVs will be equipped with two (redundant) independent radar/reflection-based, 360-degree collision avoidance systems, for short-distance and long-distance detection, similar to the Airborne Collision Avoidance System X2 (ACAS X). Further, they will use swarm-type technologies to override their approved time-path, and control flight as necessary to avoid unforeseen objects (e.g. non-networked pilot-controlled aircraft, non-networked drone aircraft, falling space debris, birds, etc.). Once fully developed, these systems will enable millions of AVs to travel safely and securely through crowded airspace, in both urban and rural environments, as well as concurrent operation of both autonomous and non-autonomous aerial vehicles. (The proposed time-path and 360-degree collision avoidance concepts are so important in ensuring safe AV travel that they are illustrated in the OVER logo).
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