A Simulation Study of Risk-Aware Path Planning in Mitigating the Third-Party Risk of a Commercial UAS Operation in an Urban Area

UAS-based commercial services such as urban parcel delivery are expected to grow in the upcoming years and may lead a large volume of UAS operations areas. These flights pose safety risks persons property on ground, which referred third-party risks. Path-planning methods have been developed generate nominal flight path for each that poses relative low by passing over less risky areas, e.g., areas with low-density unsheltered populations. However, it is not clear if risk minimization per works well operation involves number annual an area. Recently, has shown when using shortest planning, service area can society-critical levels. The aim this paper evaluate mitigating effect state-of-the-art risk-aware planning these To accomplish this, simulation paths extended path-planning method, societal effects levels assessed compared those obtained paths. results show reduce total fatalities area, but at cost critical increase living favored method.