Probabilistic Collision Modeling for UAS under Wind-Induced Uncertainty
Research output: Contribution to conferences › Paper › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Collision probability estimation represents a crucial part of aviation safety analysis, providing the quantitative foundation for collision risk assessment focusing on unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV) operating in rather dense urban airspace. This paper presents a related deterministic, wind-aware model that incorporates varying look ahead times. We model UAV position uncertainty as a Gaussian process that propagates following analytically computed covariance, impacted by a central disturbing factor: the wind, enabling physically grounded uncertainty estimation. Collision probability is computed using Gaussian probability density functions, integrated over representative geometric zones - cylindrical for UAV–UAV and cuboid for UAV–obstacle proximities. Applied to typical takeoff and landing procedures, the model shows strong flight phase dependence with UAV-obstacle configurations. Sensitivity analyses on wind uncertainty mapping, prediction horizon, and correlation assumptions demonstrate numerical stability, temporal consistency, and physically interpretable behavior under perturbations. The approach offers a computationally efficient foundation for collision probability under wind uncertainty that supports safety and efficient urban air mobility implementation.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 25 Mar 2026 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
Symposium
| Title | 2nd US-Europe Air Transportation Research & Development Symposium |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ATRDS 2026 |
| Conference number | 2 |
| Duration | 15 - 19 June 2026 |
| Website | |
| Degree of recognition | International event |
| Location | Delft University of Technology |
| City | Delft |
| Country | Netherlands |