The SAMVA project proudly participated in the EGNOS Workshop organized by ESSP, the EGNOS service provider, and EUSPA (European Union Agency for the Space Programme). The two-day event served as a pivotal platform for industry experts to delve into the latest advancements in EGNOS services and their applications across various sectors, including the aviation domain.
SAMVA was amongst the presentations of new success stories and real-world examples of European users leveraging EGNOS technology in their businesses and markets. We showcased SAMVA's commitment to fostering the adoption of EGNOS technology within the provision of rotorcraft services, with a vision toward seamless integration of VTOL autonomous aircraft. Two SAMVA project partners, Thales Alenia and PildoLabs, delivered insightful presentations. PildoLabs, in particular, highlighted the SAMVA project's significance within the context of EGNOS multimodal applications, focusing on EGNOS adoption in autonomous eVTOL aircraft.
As a reminder, SAMVA aims to achieve operational use of EGNOS within the provision of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) by implementing Point-in-Space and Low-Level-Route operations in Spain. The project also seeks to deploy EGNOS services for eVTOL operations at Lleida-Alguaire airport (LEDA), demonstrating the technology's potential to support Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) tasks. Therefore, we deemed this event to be a great opportunity for us to showcase our advancements, foster collaborations, and contribute to the broader dialogue on enhancing navigation systems within the aviation industry, especially as we are getting closer to the end of our project.
To maximise the visibility of the project results, SAMVA set up a stand at the workshop, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the EH216 360 flight simulations at Lleida Airport. It also invited participants to fill out a survey about the general perception of EGNOS and eVTOL applications. The interactive display combined with the presentation of PildoLabs communicated SAMVA's goals and enabled an engaging dialogue among participants while igniting curiosity for our project’s work.
SAMVA's integration of EGNOS into rotorcraft services not only aligns with broader industry trends but also addresses the evolving needs of the aviation sector. As air traffic continues to grow and unmanned aviation becomes more prevalent, SAMVA's efforts to harness GNSS technologies like EGNOS play a crucial role in enhancing navigation, safety, and operational efficiency.
This event showcased the SAMVA project’s dedication to integrating rotorcraft with EGNOS technology, aiming to enhance safety and efficiency in aviation.