A systematic review of ground-based infrastructure for the innovative urban air mobility

Abstract

The increasing level of urbanisation and traffic congestion promotes the concept of urban air mobility (UAM), which has become a thriving topic in engineering and neighbouring disciplines. The development of a suitable ground-based infrastructure is necessary to supply these innovative vehicles, which mainly includes networks of take-off and landing sites, facilities for maintenance, energy supply, and navigation and communication capabilities. Further requirements comprise robust business and operating models for emerging service providers and regulatory frameworks, particularly regarding safety, liability and noise emissions. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the current results and developments in the field of UAM ground-based infrastructure by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) and to identify the most relevant research gaps in the field. For the systematic literature analysis, our search string contains vertiports and the equivalents, UAM and equivalents, and search phrases for the individual domains. In the final analysis 64 articles were included, finding a strong focus on simulations and vertiport networks, while specific case studies and related aspects like automated MRO and urban planning appear less frequently. Therefore, this article provides insights for a more holistic perspective on challenges and necessities of future UAM.