Combined authority takes to the skies for new drone project

West Midlands Combined Authority has enlisted the help of leading design, engineering, and project management consultancy, Atkins for a new project on the use of drones.

Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of several organisations selected to support the WMCA in the Nesta Flying High Challenge, which explores how drones can be used to assist with the protection of homes and businesses in a specific area.

Over the next five months, Atkins will be part of a group working with the Flying High team to investigate the use of drones to improve public services and encourage commercial opportunities. The group will also explore the public attitudes, environmental impact, logistics, safety and the regulation of drones operating in complex urban environments.

Charlton Bland, geomatics consultant in SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business, said: ‘’The NESTA Flying High Challenge provides a great opportunity for us to work with experts across different organisations to explore the responsible application of drone technology across the built environment.

“Rapid advances in technology are providing new ways to connect people, places and goods and help us to understand the world with greater clarity and fidelity.

“We look forward to working with our lead partner the West Midlands Combined Authority and bringing to the table our leading-edge digital capabilities in: Intelligent Mobility, Autonomous Vehicles and Air Safety as well as our strong heritage in safety focused engineering and infrastructure design.’’

Besides the West Midlands, parts of Bradford, London, Preston and Southampton will explore how drone technology can be used to support their local needs.

The announcement follows an open call in November which attracted bids from over a third of UK cities for a place on the Flying High Challenge, run by Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre in partnership with Innovate UK.

The project will build on the West Midlands’ strength in innovation, as highlighted in WMCA’s Science and Innovation Audit 2017, and builds on previous work by the Atkins business to design the blueprint for Transport for West Midlands’ (TfWM) ‘Mobility as a Service’ scheme.

The West Midlands is one of the first parts of the country to trial ‘Mobility as a Service’ (MaaS), a revolutionary take on transport.

The Nesta Flying High Challenge will see collaboration between universities, start-ups, corporations and public bodies.