MSc Projects : Acceleration of the SORA (Specific Operational Risk Assessment) process for the future of air mobility

Project Description

Context:
Numerical simulations are commonly used in the aeronautics industry, for example to analyze the integrity of fuselages or even the risk of collision with birds near an airport. However, there is no integrated method for numerically analyzing the risk associated with drone operations beyond direct visibility (Beyond Visual Line-Of-Sight – BVLOS), a necessary step in the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) process for authorizing a mission. In this context, our research project, in partnership with CAE and Unither Bioelectronics, aims to develop a complete processing pipeline for the production of synthetic data from a sophisticated simulation environment of a flight corridor, including weather conditions, ground infrastructure, airspace traffic interactions and even the quality of communication links to operate the drone, all of this fed by both historical and live data. The system will allow three-dimensional visualization of various events that may occur, and an automated risk analysis will make it possible to issue recommendations to reduce the risks associated with certain operations.

Topic:
The aim of this research project is to explore the automation of mission risk analysis from the generation of synthetic data from a simulator. This involves : (1) a thorough analysis of the SORA process leading to a system architecture for a data production and analysis pipeline for risk assessment; (2) a complete software model of an Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) and its interactions with other airborne entities; (3) a multimodal simulation of the targeted environment (terrain, infrastructure, meteorological conditions and air traffic from real and historical data); and (4) an automated risk assessment for field experts to produce reports and visualization of critical operations.

Six master's projects will be supervised by Pr. François Ferland, Pr. David Rancourt and Pr. Adina Panchea, as part of Alliance Project between Université de Sherbrooke, CAE & Unither Bioélectronique on acceleration of the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) mission risk analysis process for the future of air mobility. The work will be carried out at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) of the University of Sherbrooke and in collaboration with industry-leading professionals from our world-class partners CAE and Unither Bioelectronics. The student will thus benefit from an exceptional research environment bringing together students, professionals, professors and industrialists working hand in hand to develop the technologies of the future.

Desired Profile
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or mechanical engineering 
• Experience in aeronautic with digital twins or robotics simulation environments 
• Programming skills (primarily Python and JavaScript). Skills in web application development are a strong asset
• Ability to communicate in English or French both orally and in writing 
• Strong ability to adapt, be autonomous and work in a team
• Pronounced taste for design, research and development

Contact : recrutementAIRGIFT@usherbrooke.ca  

Starting date: September 2025
Documents to provide: Curriculum vitae, university transcripts, statement of interest and 2 references.

Funding offered

Yes

Partner(s)

CAE , Unither Bioélectronique

The last update was on 24 October 2025. The University reserves the right to modify its projects without notice.