On October 28th through 30th in Las Vegas, Nevada, industry experts and stakeholders throughout the UAV industry will meet and gather to push the industry forward. 

The 5^th Annual Commercial UAV Expo, October 28-30 in Las Vegas, has become the industry’s biggest gathering where attendees can see the latest innovations and applications of commercial drone technology and a glimpse into the future of Urban Air Mobility (UAM). In addition to 190 of the world’s top UAS vendors along with 2,500+ attendees from 60 nations, keynoters include Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator and Bala Ganesh, VP Advanced Technology Group at UPS who will discuss urban air mobility and package delivery. Speakers from Uber, Urban Air Mobility News and many UAS CEOs will highlight the sessions. Live Outdoor Flying Demonstrations, Workshops and Demo Room presentations are set to provide attendees with a real sense of how the present and future of the UAS industry is taking shape, both in the Americas and globally. 

The Expo is one of the largest in the world for commercial UAV applications. Among the attendees are exhibitors and stakeholders of construction, energy & utilities, forestry & agriculture, infrastructure & transportation, public safety & emergency services, security, surveying & mapping, and more. Read the full list of exhibitors here.

As part of the conference, UAV industry experts will share key insights into the issues asset owners face when implementing unmanned aerial systems, including systems selection and integration; developing enterprise workflows, guidelines and policies; data management and integration; and legal, safety and regulatory considerations. Plenary sessions and panels cover topics of interest to all end-users regardless of industry, while breakout sessions focus on UAV technology, applications and opportunities in the various UAS applicable markets.

Anyone who is interested in furthering the UAV industry or already has a company invested in UAV technology will have an opportunity to collaborate and meet with experts from all areas of the field. The Expo is free to attendees who register by October 27. Register for the conference here.

Why it’s important: The Commercial UAV expo represents one of the world’s largest gatherings of UAV industry experts and proponent companies. While larger vehicles are in development, the emergence of UAV technology for commercial applications sets the groundwork for for urban aerial mobility, putting the beginnings of this technology to the test and showing its potential.

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Sources: Commercial UAV Expo Las Vegas

Vertical Aerospace becomes the first company in the world to unveil flight footage of an eVTOL aircraft capable of carrying 250kg – the equivalent of a pilot and two passengers.

Bristol-based startup Vertical Aerospace has revealed flight footage of an electric vertical take off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) capable of carrying loads of up to 250kg – the first company in the world to do so. The prototype, named Seraph, completed its maiden flight at Llanbedr Airfield in Wales on August 22. It follows the successful flight of Vertical Aerospace’s first full-scale prototype in May 2018, the UK’s first eVTOL aircraft to be granted flight permission by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Vertical Aerospace is working closely with global aviation regulators, including EASA, to achieve certification for
commercial flight.

Vertical Aerospace’s mission is to make air travel personal, on-demand and carbon free. Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Stephen Fitzpatrick, the team has grown to more than 70 world-class engineers and technical experts, recruited from Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover and Formula 1. By combining aerospace engineering excellence with new technologies from Formula 1, Vertical Aerospace hopes to help decarbonize the trillion dollar commercial aviation industry and provide a new mode of city-to-city passenger transport.

The Seraph was built to test new technologies and systems for integration into Vertical Aerospace’s upcoming passenger model, due to be unveiled next year. The aircraft is capable of carrying loads of up to 250kg and can reach speeds of up to 80km per hour. It features a unique passive cooling system and a customizable design, meaning it can be made larger or smaller, or fitted with wheels or floats to facilitate water landings. With the Seraph, Vertical Aerospace’s team has further developed concepts from its first aircraft and built in capabilities which will be critical for attaining certification from aviation authorities.

“Today is another major milestone on the path towards carbon free flight. One year ago, we flew a full scale electric VTOL aircraft, the UK’s first. Today, we’re revealing flight footage of our second full scale prototype, the Seraph, an air taxi prototype capable of carrying 250kg. Air travel is one of the worst contributors to climate change and among the slowest sectors to decarbonize. Our mission at Vertical Aerospace is to make personal, on demand and carbon free flight a reality.” –Stephen Fitzpatrick, Founder and CEO of Vertical Aerospace.

The successful test flight comes as Vertical Aerospace announces the acquisition of MGI, an F1 engineering consultancy led by British motorsport veteran Mike Gascoyne. Gascoyne and his team of 20 specialists will form Vertical Advanced Engineering, bringing the total Vertical team up to more than 70 members. The team bring decades of experience building high performance vehicles for Formula 1 and Formula E, having worked with international racing teams including Williams, McLaren, Tyrell, Benetton, Renault and Lotus. They will apply the latest technologies and agile processes from F1 to the development of eVTOL aircraft, including for example, best practice in building fast, light-weight composite structures. The acquisition will allow Vertical Aerospace to accelerate the development of its eVTOL technology, bringing superior certified aircraft to market more quickly.

 “We have long believed that the technologies and approaches from Formula 1 could be applied to a range of engineering challenges. Vertical Aerospace’s vision provides a fantastic outlet for our experience and a unique opportunity to shape the future of flight.Joining the Vertical team will allow us to work on cutting edge engineering programs while continuing to provide world-class consultancy services to the wider engineering community.” –Mike Gascoyne, CTO of Vertical Advanced Engineering

Working closely with global aviation regulators, including EASA, Vertical Aerospace will begin with piloted air taxi services on city-to-city routes. Over time, as the technology and regulatory framework develops, it will expand the number of chartered routes served, introduce elements of autonomy, and ultimately, make completely on-demand air taxis a reality. The company has already begun the certification process for its next model, a passenger aircraft due to be unveiled next year.

Why it matters: Vertical Aerospace’s Seraph represents a major breakthrough in prototype eVTOLs. The company has been steadily working on the Seraph since its first prototype in May 2018, and has proved its significant potential with the latest 250kg capable flights. Vertical Aerospace’s announcement is important not only for the company itself, but is also an indicator of the vast improvement and progress being made in the aerial mobility as a whole.

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Workhorse plans to partner with USOG for pilot programs and drone delivery of medical supplies.

USOG (Unmanned Systems Operations Group, Inc), a unmanned mobile medical delivery logistics firm and Workhorse, a tech company focused on electric-mobility platforms seem to be a perfect fit as the two intend to deliver medical supplies via drones. The two companies have launched an initial pilot program in the San Diego area and intend to to provide programs for healthcare providers, pharmacies, and medical courier services. The training will help run Workhorse’s HorseFly program, a fully functional drone delivery system.

Workhorse’s HorseFly system integrates ground and air transportation.

HorseFly is a fully integrated delivery system that interfaces with the company’s NGEN electric delivery vehciles. The system is completely custom built and uses a high-efficiency UAV. USOG will offer the personal necessary to monitor multiple UAV flights while customers will be able to track the real-time delivery through an app. The app will real-time information such as the package’s location, vehicle status, and onboard video.

“USOG’s vision is to enable nationwide medical deliveries by UAV, and we couldn’t think of a better application for our HorseFly system,” said Workhorse CEO Duane Hughes. “We look forward to working closely with USOG as well as with the FAA and other key stakeholders on safe, secure, and timely deliveries in addition to maintaining patient privacy. While we recognize the immediate benefits of utilizing our technology in such a vital application, we’re also excited about the possibilities these types of deliveries can represent across a variety of industries and use cases on a much larger scale. As the only U.S. patented truck drone-launched system, we believe we are in an excellent position to take share in a number of nascent delivery markets.”

“This partnership represents a game-changing opportunity the broader medical field, which could set a new standard for more effective and timely patient treatment options empowered by drone logistics,” added USOG CEO Pharns Genece. “Workhorse has already delivered a complete system to us, and we are well-positioned to take advantage the FAA IPP program in the near term. Going forward, we will look to expand our work with innovative companies in one of the largest medical markets in the U.S. Our role in the chain of custody, when delivering or moving any medical cargo, is for our customers to be the number one priority. With Workhorse and its HorseFly^™ system, we believe we’ll be able to save more lives through the secure and timely delivery of medical assets via unmanned systems.”

Why it matters: The development of a multi-mode delivery system (including UAV) will ultimately offer better healthcare services for customers around the globe. Further, this partnership clearly indicates widespread commercial applications of UAV technologies are closer than we think. With the launching of pilot training programs and FAA operation certifications, the timeline for these technologies being introduced could be only months, rather than years.

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Volocopter has announced plans to fly its first public showcase this month at Singapore’s Marina Bay.

The company held a media event at the end of September and has reported the successful completion of numerous test flights in the hot and humid climate.

Since arriving in Singapore, Volocopter has received support from the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, and the Economic Development Board. 

According to Volocopter co-founder, Alexander Zosel, Singapore was chosen for the demonstration as it is a candidate for the company’s first point-to-point network deployment. 

An artist’s impression of a Volocopter taxi flying near Marina Bay Sands.

“In the end, we want to have Volocopter systems here in Singapore as a public transport system for business travelers or tourists. The plan is to open the first route in the next two to three years, but this will be defined with the authorities, and that could be a tourist case or a business case for example from the airport to the business district,” said Mr Zosel.

During this time Volocopter and Skyports will showcase the world’s first full-scale air taxi vertiport prototype: The VoloPort. This infrastructure is a collaboration between Volocopter and Skyports to design and build a full-size vertiport prototype of the type of infrastructure that urban air taxis and their passengers can expect to use in the future.

“It’s a process. It’s also about growing partnerships with the ecosystem in Singapore. Not only with the authorities, also players like 5G network providers are very important to operate this aircraft, so we want to create an ecosystem here with different players.”

The flight is expected to take place as part of the Intelligent Transport Systems Worldwide Congress which runs from October 21 to 25.

Why it matters: This demo will be the first opportunity for the public to witness the flight of Volocopter 2X model eVTOL aircraft. The company has been featured on TransportUP recently for its demonstration of a staged medical rescue operation. Further, the use of the VoloPort will provide a glimpse into the future of aerial mobility infrastructure.

The X-57 Mod II, NASA’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, will soon undergo testing

The aircraft was recently finished and delivered to NASA by their primary contractor, ESAero. With the delivery, NASA intends to start their engineers in testing the X-57 Mod II in ground tests. With success in testing, NASA looks to have the X-57 Mod II lead the discussion in areas such as flight efficiency, zero carbon emissions and noise reduction. 

The X-57 Mod II, a modified Tecnam P2006T

The X-57 Mod II, a modified Tecnam P2006T, features an all electric propulsion system, powered by lithium-ion batteries. The aircraft has a maximum flight speed of 172 mph at an altitude of 8000 ft, and a total weight of about 3000 lb. 

“The X-57 Mod II aircraft delivery to NASA is a significant event, marking the beginning of a new phase in this exciting electric X-plane project,” says X-57 Project Manager Tom Rigney in the press statement. “With the aircraft in our possession, the X-57 team will soon conduct extensive ground testing of the integrated electric propulsion system to ensure the aircraft is airworthy. We plan to rapidly share valuable lessons learned along the way as we progress toward flight testing, helping to inform the growing electric aircraft market.”

The X-57 is a design driver, intended to continue progress on the electric aircraft market, as well as explore the capabilities and restrictions of the aerial mobility market. NASA intends to use the X-57 to define certification standards for the electric aircraft market, in which many vehicles in the aerial mobility market are included. 

Afterwards, there are plans to start on development for the Mod III, which will focus on energy efficiency, another vital factor in the electric aircraft market. 

For more information about specifics of the electric aircraft market, read Matt Bohlsen’s Look at the Emerging Electric Aircraft Sector.

Why it’s important: Success in the aerial mobility sector will precede a huge expansion into a new market for transportation. With many companies already spending resources in getting their vehicles properly certified and exploring regulation standards, NASA intends to try and stay ahead of the curve by developing proper certification and regulatory standards for all electric aircraft to abide by, so that they are not taken off guard in the event that aerial mobility undergoes a massive expansion.

Source // Popular Mechanics

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SkyDrive has received a $14M USD financing deal through share issuance and subsidiaries

Concept art of the SkyDrive project

Leading flying car developer SkyDrive, established by the members of CARTIVATOR, a group of aircraft, drones, and automotive engineers, has secured 14 Million USD through Third-party share issuance funding and subsidies. A total of 18.5 Million USD has now been raised and manned test flights will begin this year.

Contributing venture capital partners of SkyDrive Inc. include Drone Fund, Z Corporation, STRIVE III Limited Liability Partnership, ITOCHU Technology Ventures, Inc. and Energy & Environment Investment, Inc. The president of STRIVE III Limited Liability Partnership, Tatsuo Tsutsumi, steps up as outside director of SkyDrive Inc.

We are delighted to be able to announce this financing breakthrough, which is testament to our hardworking team and speed of development. Securing the backing of these investors will be instrumental in getting our world-leading technology off the ground and into the skies.” –SkyDrive Chief Executive Tomohiro Fukuzawa 

“We are clear that our product will improve the lives of consumers right across the world by providing efficiency of movement and creating happiness in flying – be it linking people to jobs, their family or a dream holiday. Flying cars will be the travel mode of the future and today we took a giant leap towards making that happen.”

In additional to focusing on the landmark upcoming manned test flight, the company is working on product development and certification. The next phase in SkyDrive’s expansion plan is to recruit talented and passionate people to achieve the collective goal of bringing “Flight for All”.

Why it matters: SkyDrive is another quickly growing company in aerial mobility, again indicating global interest in eVTOL technologies. With $14M, SkyDrive will be able to more quickly launch its prototype and begin test flights.

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