Current airspace regulations require the remote pilot-in-command of an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to maintain visual line of sight with the vehicle for situational awareness. The future of UAS will not have these constraints as technology improves and regulations are changed. An operational model for the future of UAS is proposed where a remote operator will monitor remote vehicles with the capability to intervene if needed. One challenge facing this future operational concept is the ability for a flight data system to effectively communicate flight status to the remote operator. A system architecture has been developed to facilitate the implementation of such a flight data system. Utilizing the system architecture framework, a Phase I prototype was designed and built for two vehicles in the Autonomous Flight Laboratory (AFL) at Cal Poly. The project will continue to build on the success of Phase I, culminating in a fully functional command and control system for remote UAS operational testing.
","abstract_html":"<p>Current airspace regulations require the remote pilot-in-command of an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to maintain visual line of sight with the vehicle for situational awareness. The future of UAS will not have these constraints as technology improves and regulations are changed. An operational model for the future of UAS is proposed where a remote operator will monitor remote vehicles with the capability to intervene if needed. One challenge facing this future operational concept is the ability for a flight data system to effectively communicate flight status to the remote operator. A system architecture has been developed to facilitate the implementation of such a flight data system. Utilizing the system architecture framework, a Phase I prototype was designed and built for two vehicles in the Autonomous Flight Laboratory (AFL) at Cal Poly. The project will continue to build on the success of Phase I, culminating in a fully functional command and control system for remote UAS operational testing.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ashley, Eric"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS in Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Aaron Drake","Aerospace Engineering","College of Engineering"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-03-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-03-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:13Z","subjects":["systems engineering","UAS","system architecture","operational concept","flight data","remote command and control","Aeronautical Vehicles","Other Aerospace Engineering","Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["10.15368/theses.2020.14"],"render_values":[{"text":"10.15368/theses.2020.14","href":"https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2020.14","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2138","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Aaron Drake","Aerospace Engineering","College of Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ashley, Eric"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-03-13T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["systems engineering","UAS","system architecture","operational concept","flight data","remote command and control","Aeronautical Vehicles","Other Aerospace Engineering","Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2138","10.15368/theses.2020.14"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Current airspace regulations require the remote pilot-in-command of an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to maintain visual line of sight with the vehicle for situational awareness. The future of UAS will not have these constraints as technology improves and regulations are changed. An operational model for the future of UAS is proposed where a remote operator will monitor remote vehicles with the capability to intervene if needed. One challenge facing this future operational concept is the ability for a flight data system to effectively communicate flight status to the remote operator. A system architecture has been developed to facilitate the implementation of such a flight data system. Utilizing the system architecture framework, a Phase I prototype was designed and built for two vehicles in the Autonomous Flight Laboratory (AFL) at Cal Poly. The project will continue to build on the success of Phase I, culminating in a fully functional command and control system for remote UAS operational testing.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A System Architecture for Phased Development of Remote sUAS Operation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Aaron Drake","Aerospace Engineering","College of Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Ashley, Eric"],"dc:date.available":["2020-03-13T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Current airspace regulations require the remote pilot-in-command of an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to maintain visual line of sight with the vehicle for situational awareness. The future of UAS will not have these constraints as technology improves and regulations are changed. An operational model for the future of UAS is proposed where a remote operator will monitor remote vehicles with the capability to intervene if needed. One challenge facing this future operational concept is the ability for a flight data system to effectively communicate flight status to the remote operator. A system architecture has been developed to facilitate the implementation of such a flight data system. Utilizing the system architecture framework, a Phase I prototype was designed and built for two vehicles in the Autonomous Flight Laboratory (AFL) at Cal Poly. The project will continue to build on the success of Phase I, culminating in a fully functional command and control system for remote UAS operational testing.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2138","10.15368/theses.2020.14"],"dc:subject":["systems engineering","UAS","system architecture","operational concept","flight data","remote command and control","Aeronautical Vehicles","Other Aerospace Engineering","Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization"],"dc:title":["A System Architecture for Phased Development of Remote sUAS Operation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS in Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:32:13Z"}