In 2023, Samara University begun establishing Russia’s first unified security ecosystem for domestic unmanned aviation systems (UAS).
The project is implemented jointly with the company Transport Budushchego (Transport of the Future), which is engaged in developing unmanned aviation systems.

“The system we have been developing based on artificial intelligence (AI) will make operating drones safe and minimize the number of emergency situations. Besides, this system will establish the industry standard for all unmanned aviation”, emphasized the system developer Artyom Nikonorov, Director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Samara University’s Centre for Intelligent Mobility of Multifunctional Unmanned Aviation Systems.

According to him, applying drones in the economy and industry only grows every year. And when tens of thousands of drones are in the airspace simultaneously, the problem of ensuring their safe movement and operation during takeoff and landing will become extremely urgent. For solving it, artificial intelligence, which, as a digital assistant or dispatcher, will control interaction of drones with humans and with each other, for the purpose of avoiding accidental damage or collision, will be needed.

In future, this artificial intelligence can be scaled to many different processes in the field of UAS safety. Moreover, for drones, so-called frameworks (sets of pre-trained AI models, methods and tools) — ready-made solutions that require only point-to-point adjustment for use in real conditions from “smart” agriculture to monitoring facilities — will be developed.

“The main requirement for emergence and development of the unmanned aviation industry is operation of a drone as safe as possible for humans and their environment, for important infrastructure. Therefore, such an intelligent system ensuring safety of UAV flights will undoubtedly give rise to establishing the unmanned aviation industry in our country and in the world”, emphasized Artyom Nikonorov.
Samara University is the Centre for Development of Competencies in Unmanned Aviation Systems (CDC UAS), as well. On the basis of this unit, mass production of small-sized aircraft-type drones has been organized. Here, specialized professionals are also trained in operating drones, as well as designing, producing and repairing UAVs. The Centre also offers advanced training in this field.

“Established on the basis of the University, the Centre for Development of Competencies in Unmanned Aviation Systems is unique for its large multi-segment range of training areas and greater audience coverage, compared to other similar structures in Russia. Schoolchildren, college and university students, teachers, specialists of enterprises and organizations study here. In other regions, similar educational activities are conducted mainly under the target allocation”, explained David Ovakimyan, Director of the University’s Centre for Unmanned Systems.

Training professionals

In 2023, within the Advanced Aerospace Engineering School of Samara University, the new educational module — “Systems Engineering of Unmanned Aviation Systems” — was introduced. The course is intended for the University’s students, who study in various areas — gain knowledge in designing drones, using modern materials and manufacturing technologies. The interactive space for the classes is furnished with training complexes for piloting and maintaining UAS, as well as specialized electronic equipment for designing and analysing electronic elements of UAS onboard equipment, modern computers, the augmented reality complex, and 3D printers.

The University has also created the training complex for UAV pilots, combining virtual reality and a real drone. The complex makes it possible to teach safe control of unmanned vertical-takeoff aircraft in a short time.

Small, but good

In the region, Samara scientists participate in testing the innovative engine that will open the new era for unmanned aviation. Currently, the SSGTE-22 prototype undergoes a series of bench tests at Samara University’s Engineering Centre. The major goal of developing the SSGTE-22 “Kolibri” is establishing a fundamentally new class of small-sized gas-turbine engines for ultralight unmanned aerial vehicles.

As Ivan Zubrilin, Head of the Engineering Centre, emphasized, this tiny engine is capable of radically transforming flight specifications of small, but very fast and load-lifting drones. According to the expert, in terms of its relative specifications (the ratio of thrust to weight and dimensions), this engine surpasses all existing analogues, and is able to bring the UAV capabilities to a qualitatively different level. In particular, a drone equipped with the SSGTE-22 engine, with its take-off weight of 45 kg, is capable of reaching speeds of over 800 km/h and rising to a height of up to 9 km. After completion of the tests and commissioning of mass production, the new engine will be widely applied in promising unmanned aviation complexes for various purposes. This will allow creating high-speed multi-purpose UAVs of new generation, for solving tasks of monitoring, reconnaissance, relaying signals, etc. Today, engines with thrust of 80 and 500 N are quite high-developed to be released this year.

Vladimir Bogatyrev, Rector of Samara University

“Our research is in demand in various sectors of the economy — agriculture, environmental protection, assessment of the condition of structures and infrastructure facilities, transportation. Over the years, we have implemented several interdisciplinary projects involving development of unmanned aerial vehicles, hyperspectrometers, creation and training of neural networks for analysing the images obtained. And we have very specific plans up to 2030. We managed to establish cooperation with several industrial partners at once; one of them — the company Transport Budushchego, which has opened mass production of UAVs in the SEZ in Tolyatti, — will take part in establishing Russia’s first UAV safety ecosystem.”

Artyom Nikonorov, Director of Samara University’s Institute of Artificial Intelligence

“Our IT task is to create “brain” for efficient and safe operation of drones. After all, if there are several hundred planes currently flying in the country, there will be thousands of drones and UAVs in terms of the entire industry. And they will need to be controlled: a special ecosystem, capable of checking codes of drones as strictly as codes of airliners, will be required. It will be necessary to create a mission planner for the extended infrastructure, as well as control the production and operation of drones. All this is necessary, for example, for a farmer to give a command to his drone: fly around this field and tell me how much fertilizer needs to be applied. And the vehicle must obey him. Herewith, the drone must not fly into someone else’s air corridor. To do this, the task should be directed to the flight controller, that is, to the “brain” of the copter.”

David Ovakimyan, Director of Samara University’s Centre for Unmanned Systems

“Unmanned aircraft systems contribute to efficient and innovative development of a wide variety of industries. Numerous studies show that applying unmanned aerial vehicles to solve problems, for example, in agriculture is efficient in terms of financial benefits for agricultural companies. This is an emerging market where innovative solutions will be applied. The Samara Region is one of the leaders in the field of unmanned aircraft systems. Our region stands out for its scientific potential in the field of aviation against the background of not only the Volga Federal District, but also the whole country. The experimental legal mode based on the idea of creating logistics corridors for drones has been introduced here. This facilitate attracting large investors to the region, around which the cluster is being formed. Samara University, as a scientific centre, will help industrial partners in implementation of their ambitious projects.”

Source: Samarskoe Obozrenie (Samara Review)