A Safety Evaluation of Drone Taxi Operations Based on Impact Energy and Fatality Probability

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 2 Sayı: Aviation Technologies and Applications Conference (ATAConf'25) Special Issue, 60 - 84, 31.12.2025

Tamer Savaş

Öz

The drone taxi systems developed within the scope of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is likely to play a significant role in the future’s transportation infrastructure . To integrate such systems with the national air space in a safe manner, quantitative analysis methods which take into account risks both on the ground and in the air. This study conducts a safety analysis through integration of the expected safety level framework with the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) methodology to assess the applicability of drone taxi operations. The analysis was applied to a sample VTOL platform performing flights for drone taxi purposes. The findings point out the fact that achieving a target safety level for manned aviation is possible only if high system reliability, low exposure area, limited population density, and effective risk-reducing measures are made available concurrently. The study contributes to urban air mobility strategies by proposing a systematic safety approach in the transition from freight to passenger transport.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) , Drone Taxi , VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) , Expected Level of Safety (ELS) , Target Level of Safety (TLS)

Drone Taksi Operasyonlarının Çarpma Enerjisi ve Ölüm Olasılığına Dayalı Emniyet Değerlendirmesi

Öz

Kentsel Hava Hareketliliği kapsamında geliştirilen drone taksi sistemleri, geleceğin ulaşım altyapısında önemli bir rol üstlenmeye adaydır. Bu sistemlerin ulusal hava sahasına güvenli entegrasyonu için hem yer hem de hava risklerini dikkate alan nicel analiz yöntemlerine ihtiyaç vardır. Bu çalışma, drone taksi operasyonlarının uygulanabilirliğini değerlendirmek amacıyla beklenen emniyet seviyesi çerçevesini, SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) metodolojisiyle bütünleştirerek, emniyet analizini gerçekleştirmektedir. Analiz, drone taksi amaçlı uçuş gerçekleştiren örnek bir VTOL platformunda uygulanmıştır. Bulgular, insanlı havacılık düzeyindeki bir hedef emniyet seviyesine ulaşmak için; yüksek sistem güvenilirliği, düşük maruz kalma alanı, sınırlı nüfus yoğunluğu ve etkili risk azaltıcı önlemlerin eş zamanlı olarak sağlanması durumunda ulaşılabileceğini göstermektedir. Çalışma, kentsel hava hareketliliği stratejilerine katkı sağlayarak, yük taşımacılığından yolcu taşımacılığına geçiş sürecinde sistematik bir emniyet yaklaşımı önermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kentsel Hava Hareketliliği , Drone Taksi , VTOL , Beklenen Emniyet Seviyesi , Hedeflenen Emniyet Seviyesi

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