Project Summary

An AI-augmented route planning tool that enables safe, efficient and regulation-ready drone flights in complex transport environments such as ports, railways and road corridors. It dynamically maps optimal low-level flight paths using real-time data on terrain, airspace, signal quality and environmental risk. By simplifying Beyond Visual Line of Sight mission planning, LUCID helps unlock greener, more scalable drone operations across the UK.

Project Achievements

The LUCID project successfully delivered a functional MVP, demonstrating AI-assisted low-altitude route planning for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations in complex transport environments. Key achievements include the development of a core routing engine capable of ingesting multiple geospatial and operational datasets such as terrain, infrastructure, and airspace constraints, enabling the dynamic generation of safe flight corridors. A prototype user interface was created to visualise routes and mission parameters on an interactive map, allowing users to simulate real-world operational scenarios. The project also translated elements of the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s SORA framework into automated risk-layering logic, providing a structured safety justification for proposed routes. Early scenario testing demonstrated the feasibility of applying LUCID to transport use cases such as ports and rail corridors. Together, these achievements validate the technical concept and provide a strong foundation for further development, regulatory engagement, and commercial deployment.

Conclusions

The LUCID project has demonstrated the feasibility of an intelligent, data-driven approach to planning safe BVLOS drone operations in complex transport environments. By combining multiple geospatial datasets with automated routing and embedded safety logic, the project has shown how mission planning can move from a manual, static process to a dynamic and scalable digital tool. The MVP provides early evidence that automated corridor generation and risk-layering aligned with the CAA’s SORA framework can significantly reduce planning complexity while supporting regulatory justification. The project has also highlighted the strong demand for tools that enable safe drone integration across ports, railways, and road networks, where inspection, monitoring, and logistics missions offer clear operational and sustainability benefits. LUCID now provides a credible foundation for further technical development, stakeholder engagement, and integration with wider UTM ecosystems, supporting the UK’s ambition to enable routine BVLOS drone operations.

Next Steps

The next phase of LUCID development will focus on advancing the prototype into a more operationally capable platform. This includes integrating additional real-time data sources such as weather feeds, NOTAMs, and communications coverage to improve the accuracy and resilience of route generation. Further refinement of the routing engine and risk-layering logic will be undertaken to strengthen alignment with the CAA’s SORA framework and support more robust operational safety case development.These steps will help position LUCID as a scalable enabling technology for routine BVLOS drone operations and support future commercial deployment across the UK transport sector.