This paper proposes a digital low-altitude airspace unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) path planning method tailored for urban risk environments and conducts an operational capacity assessment of the airspace. The study employs a vertical–horizontal grid partitioning technique to achieve airspace grid-based modeling, classifying and configuring “management-operation” grids. By integrating multi-source heterogeneous data, including building structures, population density, and sheltering factor, a grid-based discrete risk quantification model is established to evaluate comprehensive mid-air collision risk, ground impact risk, third-party risk, and UAV turning risk. A path planning method considering the optimization of the turning points of parallelograms was proposed, and the Parallel-A* algorithm was adopted for its solution. Finally, an airspace operational capacity assessment model and a conflict simulation model for urban risk environments are developed to quantify the operational capacity of urban low-altitude airspace. Using Liuhe District in Nanjing as the experimental area, the study reveals that the environmental airspace risk decreases significantly with increasing flight altitude and eventually stabilizes. In the implementation of path planning, compared with the A* and Weight-A* algorithms, the Parallel-A* algorithm demonstrates clear advantages in terms of lower average comprehensive risk and fewer turning points. In the operational capacity assessment experiments, the airspace capacity across different altitude layers increases with flight altitude and stabilizes after comprehensive risk is reduced. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the scientific management and optimal resource allocation of urban low-altitude airspace, facilitating the safe application and sustainable development of UAVs in urban environments.


    Access

    Download


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Digital Low-Altitude Airspace Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Path Planning and Operational Capacity Assessment in Urban Risk Environments


    Contributors:
    Ouge Feng (author) / Honghai Zhang (author) / Weibin Tang (author) / Fei Wang (author) / Dikun Feng (author) / Gang Zhong (author)


    Publication date :

    2025




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    Unknown




    Urban airspace unmanned aerial vehicle conflict risk assessment method and system

    ZHANG QIQIAN / MOU SIYAN / ZHANG HONGHAI et al. | European Patent Office | 2022

    Free access

    Urban low-altitude airspace-oriented unmanned aerial vehicle route planning and dynamic management and control method

    MOU ZHENHUA / LONG LUO'AN / SONG WENQIAN et al. | European Patent Office | 2025

    Free access