Lishuai Li

Associate Professor
School of Data Science
Department of Mechanical Engineering (by courtesy)
City University of Hong Kong

Speech Title: UTM ConOps for Drone Deliveries: Algorithms for Air Corridors Design and Trajectory Planning

Abstract: 

The growing integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into urban airspace requires robust traffic management systems to ensure safe and efficient operations. Different Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) Concepts of Operations (ConOps) have been proposed, which vary in flexibility, infrastructure requirements, and management complexity. This study explores how different ConOps can effectively manage drone traffic—ranging from highly structured air corridors that enhance safety through pre-planning to less structured approaches that emphasize dynamic 4D trajectory management. Each ConOps is supported by a set of algorithms for graph construction, route design, and trajectory planning. Performance is assessed through simplified Monte-Carlo simulations across metrics such as safety, efficiency, and computational demand. The study aims to determine which ConOp is best suited for various urban environments and order characteristics, emphasizing the need for a tailored UTM approach to optimize drone delivery operations.

Short-bio:

Prof. Lishuai Li is an Associate Professor in the School of Data Science and Department of Mechanical Engineering (by courtesy) at the City University of Hong Kong. Her research is in the interdisciplinary field of intelligent transportation systems and data science. Prof. Li has been recognized in Stanford’s List of the World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2022 (Single Year) and 2023 (Single Year). She serves as an associate editor for “Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies” and on the editorial board of “Journal of Air Transport Management”, “Aerospace” and “International Journal of Reliability and Safety”. Prof. Li is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a senior member of IEEE. She serves as the vice chair of the Aviation Applications Section (AAS) at the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) since 2022. Prof. Li received her Ph.D. and M.Sc. from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and her B.Eng. in Aircraft Design and Engineering from Fudan University. Previously, she worked at McKinsey & Company in the US and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.