The SAMVA project successfully hosted a dissemination event at Lleida-Alguaire Airport, aimed at raising awareness and fostering public acceptance of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions. The event showcased how EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) technology is transforming rotorcraft and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) services.
According to a project press release:
“On this occasion, SAMVA highlighted the crucial role of European satellite services like EGNOS in shaping the future of sustainable mobility, providing tangible benefits to society and improving urban connectivity. In addition, the SAMVA dissemination continued at the Lleida Air Challenge, held on 5 and 6 October 2024. This interactive event, featuring an air show, aeronautical conferences, an exhibition with over 100 stands, and other engaging activities, provided a platform for further promoting the project’s results. SAMVA partners contributed by presenting the project’s key achievements during the conference, further raising awareness and fostering public acceptance of the future of urban air mobility.
“Since its launch in October 2022, the SAMVA project has achieved several important milestones, including the development of advanced RNP (Required Navigation Performance) procedures to support autonomous eVTOL operations in challenging environments, and development of integrity concept to compute highly reliable position, based on intelligent multi-sensor fusion scheme. In partnership with Catalan Emergency Services (SEM), SAMVA is also improving Emergency Medical Services (EMS) by upgrading the network of night visual flight routes (nVFR) with PBN (IFR) capabilities, ensuring uninterrupted operations during poor visibility conditions. These achievements are a significant step towards revolutionizing urban air mobility and ensuring public trust in autonomous aerial solutions.
“The SAMVA project includes the integration of the EHang 216-S (EH216), the world’s first fully autonomous, 100% electric eVTOL aircraft. The EH216 is equipped with EGNOS GNSS receivers, enabling precise navigation and reliable RNP procedures. This marks a breakthrough in ensuring the safety and efficiency of autonomous flights, particularly in urban environments where precision is critical.
“SAMVA has conducted extensive testing campaigns at Lleida-Alguaire Airport to validate its technological advancements. From ground tests in October 2023 to flight tests in June 2024, the project has demonstrated the feasibility of integrating EGNOS technology into eVTOL operations. These tests, comprising over 27 flights and more than four hours of total flight time, have confirmed the readiness of SAMVA’s solutions for real-world deployment.”
For more information
https://www.samva-project.eu/post/samva-project-showcases-achievements-in-urban-air-mobility-at-lleida-alguaire-airport-to-boost-aware