A Physics-Informed Fixed Skyroad Model for Continuous UAS Traffic Management (C-UTM)
Muhammad Junayed Hasan Zahed, Hossein Rastgoftar
TL;DR
Addresses dynamic low-altitude urban UTM where UAS enter and exit arbitrarily. Proposes a physics-informed skyroad framework with multi-layer fixed corridors generated from Laplace-based stream functions, coupled with FCFS supervisory control and A*-based allocation in a C-UTM. Demonstrates feasibility and safety in an 8-layer urban grid through simulations, showing scalable, collision-free path planning and dynamic reallocation. Points to future work incorporating weather uncertainty and learning-based adaptation.
Abstract
Unlike traditional multi-agent coordination frameworks, which assume a fixed number of agents, UAS traffic management (UTM) requires a platform that enables Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) to freely enter or exit constrained low-altitude airspace. Consequently, the number of UAS operating in a given region is time-varying, with vehicles dynamically joining or leaving even in dense, obstacle-laden environments. The primary goal of this paper is to develop a computationally efficient management system that maximizes airspace usability while ensuring safety and efficiency. To achieve this, we first introduce physics-informed methods to structure fixed skyroads across multiple altitude layers of urban airspace, with the directionality of each skyroad designed to guarantee full reachability. We then present a novel Continuous UTM (C-UTM) framework that optimally allocates skyroads to UAS requests while accounting for the time-varying capacity of the airspace. Collectively, the proposed model addresses the key challenges of low-altitude UTM by providing a scalable, safe, and efficient solution for urban airspace usability.