A Service-Oriented Collaborative Interface with Air Traffic Control for Integrated UAS Operations in U-space

The rapid growth of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is fundamentally changing the low-altitude airspace, and the foreseen introduction of U-space to sustain this growth requires air traffic management systems that can safely operate with many autonomous systems. U-space aims to enable UAS operations to operate safely, efficiently, and securely alongside traditional crewed aviation. The Air Space REsearch Area (AREA U-space) project at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cochstedt is a U-space initiative aimed at enabling the safe integration of UAS into low-level airspace. Launched in 2023, the project is establishing a comprehensive real-world laboratory where all essential U-space system components and digital U-space services are developed and tested under realistic conditions. This paper proposes a digital U-space service, a service-oriented collaborative interface that connects U-space services with Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower controllers to support UAS operations. The U-space system makes it easier for stakeholders to share information in real time and make collaborative decisions by providing standardized services, such as flight authorisation, and dynamic airspace reconfiguration. The interface helps UAS operators stay informed by showing traffic information and enhanced geo-awareness on a single screen. To evaluate the proposed interface, a simulation-based scenario was created to illustrate multiple operations represented by varying operational constraints. The service-oriented collaborative interface with ATC is demonstrated in a pre-flight simulation scenario involving an emergency UAS operation with priority that requires a modification to the airspace structure. A No-Fly Zone (NFZ) was established before the UAS departure, in which two of the three UAS operations intersect with the emergency UAS operation during its validity window and are rejected, and the re-planned routes are authorized, while a third UAS operation whose trajectory crosses the geometry after the zone expires is authorized as filed. This scenario is a step toward demonstrating the interface´s ability to handle dynamic airspace reconfiguration, and bringing UAS into controlled airspace will require not only new technology but also a new approach to stakeholder collaboration. The suggested service-oriented collaborative interface is a promising approach to improving coordination between U-space and ATC operations, with the potential to make airspace use safer and more efficient once separation criteria, and human-in-the-loop assessment are established. Future work will incorporate simulation results from the test campaign as well as focus on the human-in-the-loop assessments and compliance with emerging regulatory frameworks to facilitate broad deployment.