Problem Statement

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS/drones) open up new transportation routes for medical, industrial, and government applications—with short response times, high reliability, and relief for ground-based transportation networks. However, this is countered by a critical infrastructure gap: An integrated air traffic control infrastructure is still lacking for safe, scalable, and non-discriminatory routine operations in lower airspace (U-Space).

The current status quo is characterized by isolated, stand-alone solutions; cooperative BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations by different operators cannot be reliably monitored or coordinated without conflicts using these solutions. CODROMO addresses this gap by developing a container-based remote tower infrastructure as an operator-neutral U-Space monitoring system. The South Westphalia Real-World Lab—involving the district control center, civil protection, and the DLRG—serves as a testing ground.

Approach

The project is divided into five sequential work phases over a 30-month period:

• Setup and Analysis Phase (Months 1–2): Establishment of governance structures, requirements analysis with all partners, and development of an ISO 31000-based risk framework. Result: jointly approved requirements specification and validation plan.

• Design and Development Phase (Months 3–6): Development of system architecture and security concept, MVP of the control center software, and specification of IoT landing pads, BOS interfaces, and ADS-B identification. In parallel: Setup of the basic container equipment.

• Integration and Commissioning Phase (Months 7–16): Consolidation of all components into a fully functional system, end-to-end integration, beta testing, and real-world testing with all partner organizations.

• Testing and Validation Phase (Months 17–26): Safety tests (power failure, fallback, kill switch), BVLOS operations in multi-operator mode, and realistic BOS crisis scenarios (floods, wildfires, search and rescue).

• Demonstration and Transfer Phase (Months 27–30): Public live demonstrations, final documentation, operating manuals, and a roadmap for scaling up to other municipalities and application areas.

The Chair of Service Development in SMEs and the Skilled Trades will focus on coordination, system integration, scientific support, as well as Compliance and risk management in accordance with ISO 31000.

Objectives

CODROMO pursues six central project objectives:

1. Remote Tower as an ATC Backbone: Development of an operator-neutral control center architecture with role- and permission-based management, AI-supported flight tracking, and cooperative conflict mitigation.

2. Takeoff/Landing Infrastructure: IoT-integrated landing pads with status and weather monitoring, visual aids, and procedural turnaround checks.

3. BVLOS Multi-Operator Operations: Validated multi-operator scenarios with spacing and prioritization logic, as well as coexistence procedures for manned air traffic.

4. Safety & Compliance: Risk management according to ISO 31000, data protection impact assessments, and secure-by-design architecture.

5. Emergency Services Integration: TETRA connectivity, control center interfaces, and validated operational scenarios for fire departments, the German Life Saving Association (DLRG), and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW).

6. Knowledge Transfer & Sustainability: Open-access publications, training and operating manuals, as well as transferability to other municipalities and fields of application.