ImAFUSA
Impact and capacity Assessment Framework for U-space Societal Acceptance
Provider: SESAR3 Joint Undertaking, topic: SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01
Duration: 09/2023 – 02/2025
Project Webpage: https://www.imafusa-sesar.eu/
Description:
ImAFUSA focuses on quantifying a variety of understudied factors influencing societal acceptance of UAM in urban, peri-urban and inter-urban areas, especially when these are deployed using U3 and U4 services. We aim to deliver an “Impact and capacity Assessment Framework for U-space Societal Acceptance” (ImAFUSA) to assist Local Authorities and other U-space stakeholders and users with the delivery of socially acceptable and beneficial UAM deployment in cities. The framework and its tools will provide insights in 3 major areas influencing societal acceptance: environmental impact (including noise, visual pollution and air quality), safety and socioeconomic impact (including affordability, accessibility, economic development, public space use and connectivity). In each area, innovative performance indicators will be described while mathematical formulas and algorithms will be developed to quantify them. Data on citizen noise perceptions, perceptions on visual pollution, safety perceptions and overall UAM acceptance will be collected during 3 immersive citizen experiences of UAM applications in the city of Athens, Greece. The usability of the developed indicators will be tested in a simulation environment simulating real future use cases with a varying volume and configuration of movements in U-space. Through the collaboration of the Partners and the Advisory Board, ImAFUSA facilitates the flow and co-creation of knowledge and 10 innovative tools between higher education (HEI), innovative SMEs, Local Authorities and National Aviation Authorities. ImAFUSA´s developments benefit a variety of stakeholders including Local Authorities, policy-makers, U-space service providers, ATM/UTM planners and operators, drone manufacturers, environmental agencies and citizens above all.
AgentFly Technologies Role:
In the ImAFUSA project, AgentFly Technologies (AFT) plays a key technical role, primarily leading the validation of impact and capacity algorithms through high-fidelity simulation AFT extends its agent-based, fast-time simulation framework to model urban air mobility (UAM) operations at scale, integrating environmental, socioeconomic, and safety indicators developed in earlier tasks. This enables large-scale scenario testing to assess system performance, societal acceptance, and airspace capacity under various UAM deployment strategies. Additionally, AFT contributes to the formulation of mathematical models and the development of impact algorithms, ensuring all outputs are simulation-ready and technically robust. Through its simulation expertise, AFT provides essential tools for optimizing UAM operations in urban environments, supporting evidence-based decision-making and stakeholder engagement.
