ImAFUSA - Creating a new framework for socially acceptable UAM deployment

Overview

Various European-funded projects are well underway to determine the future application of drones and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) in different sectors such as retail, medicine and emergency response services. As the commercial potential for UAM use across Europe grows, the need for ongoing logistical assessment becomes more pressing.

Three specific areas of concern must be monitored and evaluated as UAM is deployed in order to guarantee societal acceptance and minimal disturbance: environmental disruption, overall safety and socioeconomic impact.

Research project ImAFUSA, funded by Horizon Europe and running until February 2026, is providing insight on these three different areas of research. The project aims to deliver a new assessment framework that will aid local authorities and stakeholders in successfully delivering UAM solutions as smoothly as possible. ImAFUSA is a research project that involves multiple organisations from a wide range of disciplines.

In order to gather suitable data, three trial citizen experiences will be conducted in Athens. Real-world information regarding the potential implications and positives of UAM will be generated throughout these case studies. Using this research, ImAFUSA will provide decision-makers with methods to quantify UAM impact, covering all areas of potential concern.

Developing a new framework with interdisciplinary research

This collaborative approach brings together academic institutions, innovative SMEs, local government bodies and national aviation authorities to create a robust assessment framework that encompasses all aspects of UAM.

Antonio Torija Martinez a professor in acoustic engineering and psychoacoustics at the University of Salford. His team are working as part of the ImAFUSA project to develop new psychoacoustic models for drone noise that can be integrated into a simulation framework.

These models will help ensure that UAM deployment is best optimised to keep noise levels as low as possible for local communities. This will keep disruption to a minimum and promote societal acceptance for newly-implemented drones.

“We’re working on tools that will allow assessment of the economic and environmental aspects of changes within the aerospace sector,” said Antonio. “We’re also looking at how we can define the thresholds for acceptability. How can we measure what levels of noise are appropriate for local people?”

Public opinion will be measured in Athens as part of three trial citizen experiences. Local civilians will provide feedback on noise perceptions, visual pollution and safety factors during real drone flights.

Antonio and his team at the University of Salford will be conducting several ‘sound walks’, where participants will answer surveys in different locations. The results will help inform new impact indicators that can later be used in UAM deployment.

“We have about 150 people assessing how the introduction of a drone in the area affects them,” said Antonio. “We also have colleagues from Portugal that are looking further into public acceptability before we undergo our flight demonstrations.”

“We’ve seen that acceptability tends to increase after a flight demonstration has taken place, because people can see in real time what drone use means in practical terms. It’s useful to show how an increased understanding of technology can improve wider societal acceptance.”

Creating tools that have a tangible impact on UAM deployment

Antonio explained that one of the biggest benefits of Horizon Europe has been the focus on tangible impact and transparency. “I really appreciate the emphasis on open access publications and real-world change,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we want our tools and data to be used by operators and regulators. We want to ensure the legacy of our work. We don’t want to keep our research to ourselves for only us to use.”

It’s hoped that this research will directly impact policy making in the future. “We’re interested in organisations taking what we’ve built and using it to minimise noise impact and improve the health and wellbeing of regular people,” Antonio said.

About the funding

The ImAFUSA project is set to run until February 2026 and is being funded by Horizon Europe with the allocated budget of €877k. This project sets out plans for socially acceptable urban air mobility.

Call Topic: HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-3 – Fundamental Science and Outreach for U-space and Urban Air Mobility

Project Coordinator: Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal.

To find out more, visit https://www.imafusa-sesar.eu/.

For more information on other projects funded under Horizon Europe, visit the official Horizon Europe Hub.

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