Month: August 2022

Skyportz announced today the design for the first vertiport in Australia to service the emerging electric air taxi industry at the AAUS annual Advanced Air Mobility summit in Melbourne.

The vertiport will be located at Caribbean Park in Melbourne’s east, the fastest growing business precinct outside of the Melbourne CBD.

Caribbean Park and Skyportz have worked with Contreras Earl Architects, to70 aviation, ARUP and Microflite to come up with a practical, modular design to satisfy operational requirements to operate as a vertiport for Advanced Air Mobility.

“With the development of a vertiport in a business park we are breaking the nexus between aviation and airports. For this industry to succeed it needs to have policy makers pushing the envelope to support new “mini airports” in locations people want to go”, said Clem Newton-Brown, CEO of Skyportz.

“However community support is going to be the key to the development of these services. The community is going to have to see the benefits”

“Electric air taxis will be a new era in aviation where clean, green and quiet small aircraft can take people to places they want to go – be it work or leisure. The Caribbean Park vertiport is the first in a network of sites we will establish in advance of the aircraft becoming operational” said Newton-Brown.

The Federal regulator, CASA recently released a roadmap for the introduction of Advanced Air Mobility to Australia and various States are also trying to attract the investment which will flow from being a frontrunner in this new aviation industry.

It is anticipated that some eVTOL aircraft will be commercially in the coming years, with some timelines including 2024 for limited initial passenger carrying flights. There are over 300 designs in development and the frontrunners are already flying prototypes.

Skyportz will be seeking investment partners to fund the construction of the vertiport at Caribbean Park which will be the first in a stable of vertiports strategically located around Australia.

Why it’s important: Skyportz’ approval for usage of Melbourne’e east location is a milestone step along the path for the company to now shift focus to obtaining funding and construction partners for the project. The location will support the Melbourne urban area’s commuting requirements, and the project’s success is largely contingent on efficiently linking to other facets of the transportation system. This includes the Melbourne International Airport as well as other tertiary cities nearby, such as Geelong, and the viability of repurposing helicopter landing pads to create a network of eVTOL routes that will supplant a main hub in Melbourne.

Embraer’s Eve will conduct its first North American UAM simulation using helicopters in partnership with Blade Urban Air Mobility. With these simulations, the company aims to study operations, ground services, passenger journeys and eVTOL operator needs, creating more accessible and faster connections to Downtown Chicago. Eve will conduct its Chicago, Ill. UAM simulation over three weeks, starting with ground tests on September 12th and passenger flights on the 14th. Following the simulation, the city of Chicago will gain knowledge about the infrastructure and ecosystem needed to enable the launch and expected long-term growth of UAM in the area.

“Simulating the eVTOL operation in Chicago allows us to study how people will experience this service and understand the entire ecosystem requirements for our product and services, while showcasing the benefit of Urban Air Mobility in one of North America’s most prominent and populated cities,” said André Stein, co-CEO of Eve. “We are wrapping up preparations to execute these simulations seamlessly and look forward to helping prepare Chicago for a local zero-emission UAM solution that is quiet, efficient, and sustainable.”

Eve will perform the ground tests at Vertiport Chicago, an existing downtown heliport facility simulating services, infrastructure, and equipment requirements for eVTOL. In planned UAM infrastructure, Vertiports will be any area of land or a structure used for the landing, take-off, charging and operation of eVTOL vehicles.

“For Eve, it is essential to understand and address through these projects involving partners and the community the key challenges associated with the main pillars of the UAM ecosystem. Our proposal brings together all stakeholders and counts on different views and feedback to structure and deliver the best solutions,” said Luiz Mauad, Vice President of Services and Fleet Operations at Eve.

For this simulation, Eve has formed a consortium of partners, including Blade, Republic Airways, Halo Aviation, Vertiport Chicago, Village of Tinley Park, Village of Schaumburg, ACCIONA, SkyWest, Inc. and Speedbird Aero. A helicopter replicating Eve’s future eVTOL will transport passengers from the Vertiport Chicago facility to two helistops located northwest and southwest of Chicago. The first route will connect Vertiport Chicago to Schaumburg Municipal Helistop, and the second route will connect Vertiport Chicago to Tinley Park Helistop in Illinois. 

Rendering of Embraer’s Eve eVTOL in flight

Why it matters: Blade and Eve partnering in Chicago to simulate eVTOL operations will provide great operational data to eVTOL makers. Special considerations like loading/unloading times, Vertiport operations, and infrastructure requirements will serve to bring a better product offering for aerial mobility in the future. Expect similar studies to be conducted as eVTOL makers pivot from design and testing to operationalizing their prototypes.

Source: Eve press release

Ryse’s Recon, a small eVTOL designed for farmers and similar workers to get surveillance of large areas of land, has officially completed its first piloted test flights near the company’s headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Recon, while small, is an impressive aircraft that offers a high degree of functionality. Its six all-electric motors allow it to fly at heights of 400 ft, up to about 60mph, for a flight time of 25 minutes. Although this may not make it a city commuter, the Ohio-based Ryse is positioning this aircraft as a tool for farmers and other workers who need accessible surveillance over large plots of land. The Recon classifies as an Ultralight aircraft, meaning it can be flown without a full pilot’s license.

Originally Ryse had recreation in mind for its aircraft, but as the business advanced, the company turned to agriculture applications. The pivot came after Founder Mick Kowitz noted that many farms currently use ATVs or small utility vehicles for these purposes, which do not offer aerial views.

Kowitz states, “We started looking at who would be a great early adopter for this technology. I have good friends that are farmers with large farms and they’re like the perfect market for this.” He went on to highlight that farmers have long been the first to take on new technologies including GPS, automation, and autonomy.

The Recon’s battery packs, located directly under each propeller, are easily removable, meaning that depleted battery packs can immediately be swapped out for fresh packs. Kowitz suggests that, “A user could set up remote charging stations that are solar powered with more packs. That way if they’re 20 miles out and don’t feel they have the range to return they could swap in fresh batteries from a remote station.”

Ryse first debuted the Recon in May of 2022, and the company has been visiting farming and agriculture trade shows around the U.S in the months since. The company was originally founded in 2021, in Mason, Ohio. While Ryse is currently focusing on agriculture as a main use case, it also is considering applications in rural transportation, generalized land surveillance, tourism, logistics, search and rescue, and more.

Why it’s important: With its ease-of-use and highly efficient training time, Ryse’s Recon could quickly become a staple for many farming operations. Unlike larger aircraft in development, the Recon fits under existing U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Part 103 regulations, which means it will not need new types of certifications to fly or be sold. With such low barriers to entry including a reasonable price tag, low maintenance and certification needs, and an immediately applicable business use case already identified, the Recon has a solid chance of becoming one of the first widely-sold eVTOL aircraft in the U.S.

Related:

• Blueflite Receives Testing Grant from Michigan Economic Development Corporation (August 2022)
• Mayman Aerospace debuts Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV) at Draper Venture CEO Summit (July 2022)
• Jetson ONE completes ‘first-ever eVTOL commute’ (June 2022)

Sources // Ryse Aerotech, Western FarmPress

Bay Area-based Wisk Aero is continuing its global expansion with the launch of a new engineering hub in Montreal, Canada. The hub will be dedicated to the ongoing development of its 6th generation aircraft (to be revealed later this year).

Related: Wisk’s 6th Generation eVTOL revealed on CBS’s 60 Minutes

Since 2010, the air taxi company has been working toward that mission by designing, developing, and testing five generations of aircraft, and now they are developing their 6th and possibly final iteration, which will have four seats. Much of the company’s work so far has been performed in “stealth mode,” staying out of the public eye, but on April 17th, the 6th generation aircraft made a public debut on the show 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper.

Wisk is now preparing to launch a new hub with existing Montreal-based personnel and intends to grow this presence to approximately thirty employees by the end of the year. Wisk has been experiencing rapid growth, driven by a tremendous increase in interest for its mission and technology. The company’s new Montreal hub is part of a broader effort to further expand its global team of industry-leading talent around the world.

“We are excited about the launch of our new Montreal hub,” said Sebastien Vigneron, Sr. Vice President of Engineering and Programs. “Canada’s forward-looking approach to aviation and interest in AAM, combined with its pool of experienced aerospace talent, make it an ideal location for Wisk as we expand our global footprint. This expansion highlights the increasing global interest in our mission to bring safe, everyday flight to everyone, and we look forward to continuing that mission with support from our new Montreal-based hub.”

The announcement of the new Montreal hub follows Wisk’s recent expansion into Australia. In addition to Montreal and its headquarters and facilities around the San Francisco Bay Area, Wisk now has a presence in Atlanta (Georgia), New Zealand, and Australia.

Why it’s important: Wisk has accumulated over a decade of experience and over 1550 test flights, and in doing so is shaping the future of daily commutes and urban travel, safely and sustainably. Expansion of operations overseas is integral to the company – and the aerial mobility industry, in general – achieving economies of scale. This will ultimately lead to commercial services becoming a financially feasible endeavor for operators and pricing to be a competitive level for global consumers.

Source // Wisk press release

August 30 and 31st will feature Australia’s Advanced Aerial Mobility summit, hosted by the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems in Melbourne, Australia.

The Inaugural AAM Summit occurred last year as a virtual event. In 2022, the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems’ AAM Summit has returned with a hybrid option, providing attendees the ability to participate in speaker talks and roundtables both virtually and in-person.

The Summit will attract a diverse range of speakers to explore Australia’s opportunities and challenges in adopting this innovative mode of transport and foster a collaborative environment where best practices can be leveraged by respective attendees.

The Summit will feature a broad array of focus areas, including:

• Why Australia? –  Strategic context for AAM
• What’s already in place to enable the emerging industry?
• Where are the gaps?
• Government setting Policy and Regulation
• Updates from leading eVTOL / eSTOL manufacturers
• Emerging AAM applications – benefits, viability and social acceptance
• Environmental benefits of transition to electric aviation
• Development of a local AAM sector (skills, jobs R&D, advanced manufacturing)
• Improving supply chain efficiency, capability and resilience
• AAM stimulating new regional market opportunities and regional development
• AAM supporting emerging technology to reinvigorate regional aviation and GA
• Future infrastructure requirements to enable AAM / UAM
• Build greater community awareness of the emerging AAM / UAM sector and the potential economic, social, and environmental benefits it can offer

Why it’s important: Australia has intentionally developed an increasing aerial mobility presence over the past decade, both through state funded initiatives and via OEM’s and startups within the country and region testing and refining their technology beyond Australia, to include locations in Europe, Africa, and Asia. This development has traditionally focused on unmanned aerial systems serving logistical, EMS, and survey applications across Australia.

Increasingly, the focus has started to shift from unmanned systems to passenger carrying unmanned systems. The Australian AAM Summit will allow players from around the world to come together and leverage the progress in a different regulatory and operational landscape to European and North American developments to bridge the gap between the current technology state and the desired end goal. The cross-pollination of ideas and networking opportunities at the conference will also provide additional awareness of the progress of Australian AAM efforts to date.

Link to more information, event registration, and schedule: https://aaus.org.au/aam-summit-2022/

Horizon, a company developing a unique eVTOL design, has publicized continued progress by releasing photos of a half-scale prototype of its Cavorite X5 aircraft.

Above: Horizon Aircraft’s founder Brandon Robinson with the Cavorite X5 prototype

Horizon’s Cavorite X5 is an especially unique eVTOL in that it features in-wing lift rotors. According to the aircraft’s design thinking, this will allow for extremely lowered drag in forward flight as compared to aircraft that position their lift rotors externally. In forward flight, the leading and trailing edges of the wings close together to cover and lock over the in-wing rotors. Effectively, this will will allow the aircraft to look and fly completely like an airplane once in cruise mode, without suffering from top speed limits due to drag from external propellers as seen in other eVTOL designs.

The aircraft also will utilize hybrid-electric propulsion rather and an all-electric system, increasing its range and payload capabilities. Overall, the aircraft uses what is known as a ‘lift and cruise’ design, meaning that its in-wing rotors will lift it vertically before being propelled forward for cruise by a larger rear-facing propellor. This ‘lift and cruise’ design is utilized by many of the top aircraft on the market, including Wisk’s Cora.

The current prototype of the aircraft, featured above, features a 22-foot wingspan, a length of around 15 feet, and weighs in at about 500lbs. According to Horizon, the company expects the prototype to begin hover tests within a few weeks, and begin transition flights (flights in which the aircraft moves between vertical flight and forward flight modes) by December.

Above: The aeroshell wings that move to cover the in-wing lift rotors once the X5 is in forward flight. Once the wings are closed in cruise, the aircraft appears and flies like traditional fixed wing aircraft.

Above: A Visual of the Cavorite X5 in forward flight. The aeroshell wings are closed, hiding the in-wing lift rotors.

Ultimately, the design of the Cavorite could give it a 5-passenger capacity, with speeds up to 280mph for ranges up to 310 miles per flight.

In Summer of 2021, Horizon Aircraft was acquired by Astro Aerospace in the company’s efforts to develop a diversified eVTOL aircraft fleet. Other aircraft by Astro feature both manned and unmanned “pod-based” autonomous aircraft. With this acquisition, Brandon Robinson was designated as President of Astro Aerospace, and his since continued his work with both Horizon and Astro.

Why it’s important: While sometimes new aerial mobility companies do not release press releases regularly, this does not mean they are not advancing in development. Horizon’s aircraft features a clever and highly efficient design that could allow it to fly both further and faster than existing designs. As the company moves forward, followers should keep an eye on Horizon to note which industry partners may soon take interest. Applications for the X5 could include personal transportation, payload delivery, search and rescue, and more.

Source // Horizon Aircraft, NewsAtlas

Related:

• Astro Finalizes Acquisition of Horizon Aircraft (June 2021)
• Horizon Aircraft Exits Stealth Mode with its Sleek Cavorite X5 eVTOL (January 2021)
• Horizon Aircraft Advocates for Stricter Safety Standards Passenger eVTOLs (March 2021)
• Astro Aerospace undertakes NASA UAM Grand Challenge (March 2019)

EHang, the Chinese eVTOL firm which trades on the Nasdaq, has posted 2Q earnings with total revenue up 152% from 2Q 2021 and increasing pre-orders in its Asia market. The firm also logged firm orders for 8 of its EH216 prototype eVTOL, bringing its 2022 sale/delivery total to 11.

The EH216-S Type Certification process has progressed into new phases following that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (“CAAC”) issued EHang with the first Special Conditions for TC of a human-carrying unmanned aircraft system specially for EH216-S in February 2022. The CAAC TC expert team and EHang have reached a consensus on the Project Specific Certification Plan, Certification Basis, and the Certification Plan, respectively.

On top of references to CCAR-23 and many other internationally recognized regulations and standards, and conventional aircraft configuration management and airworthiness experience, EHang certification team has made further innovative explorations on new topics related to unmanned aircraft system, such as unmanned system, data link and ground control system, and worked out 13 means of compliance applicable to EH216.

Mr. Huazhi Hu, EHang’s Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, “During the past quarter, we achieved excellent results from our efforts in actively adapting to the macro environment and gradually recovering from the continuous impact of the COVID-19 resurgence in China. Our unique and leading AAV products and solutions drove the increases in orders, pre-orders, deliveries and customers especially in domestic and Southeast Asia markets, bringing total revenues to an increase of up to 152.5% quarter-over-quarter and high quarterly gross margin of 67.1%. We are pleased to expand our strategic business and financial partners, such as C.P. Group in Thailand on AAV sales and UAM operations, and the Agricultural Bank of China Guangzhou Branch with RMB1 billion indicative credit facilities for long-term cooperation, which will further diversify our funding sources to propel our future growth.”

“More importantly, we are grateful for both the CAAC and our certification team’s efforts, professionalism, innovation spirit, and great support, that made our today’s certification progress and breakthrough possible, bringing us closer to the goal of the EH216-S type certification and a new era of urban air mobility.”

Why it matters: EHang is expecting a strong outlook for its eVTOL prototype and marketability. EHang continues to move forward its EH216 certification, securing more product orders, and expanding its regional aerial media business in the Europe market. If it can acheive type certificate from China’s CAAC, expect strong market share in many Asian markets for the EHang EH216.

Source: EHang Press Release

AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (AIRO) today announced that it has confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to the proposed initial public offering of its common stock.

In October of 2021, Jaunt Air Mobility made an initial announcement that the company was joining AIRO Group as a means of pursuing an IPO in 2022.

The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The registration statement is expected to become effective after the SEC completes its review process, subject to market and other conditions.

Announced last month during the EAA AirVenture Airshow in Oshkosh, AIRO Group has also completed the mergers of six well-aligned global aerospace firms to form a cohesive mid-market aerospace and defense company. AIRO is now in the midst of advancing an ecosystem of aerospace technologies and operational capabilities built with an expertise of successful certification and a proven track record of safety and efficiency.

AIRO’s Electric Air Mobility division is leading with its Jaunt Journey aircraft and is working with Transport Canada towards certification under Chapter 529: Transport Category Rotorcraft. With nearly 300 flight hours and well over 1000 takeoffs and landings, Jaunt touts the Journey’s Slowed Rotor Compound technology to be the safest and quietest eVTOL in certification.

Why it’s important: Under the leadership of industry veteran CEO, Joe Burns, AIRO has aligned its business into four divisions that complete its aerospace and defense offering; Advanced Avionics, Electric Air Mobility, Commercial Drones, and Training. With well-known brands like Aspen Avionics and Jaunt Air Mobility, AIRO is leveraging its core business successes to launch its global portfolio. This will supplement Jaunt’s announcements of contracts and strategic partnerships as AIRO nears its IPO and prospective stockholders assess the company’s valuation.

With strong capital backing of the unified company, a significant book of existing business, and strong pull from its core global market sectors, AIRO has its sights set on accelerated growth via key acquisitions across all divisions.

Related: L&T Technology Services is Awarded $100 million to Manufacture Jaunt Air Mobility Aircraft

Source // Jaunt Air Mobility press release

Addressing the next generation of AI-enabled sensing solutions, MatrixSpace announced completion of $10.1M in private investor funding with secured enterprise and government customers in place on August 10th.

MatrixSpace is a company that has developed a real-time edge-based sensing with AI. From their recent press release, “MatrixSpace’s ability to combine industry leading sensing, AI edge processing and RF communication in real-time is a major technology breakthrough with multiple vertical market applications.”

MatrixSpace was founded in late 2019 in Burlington Massachusetts and has assembled a proven US-based leadership team from the RF, radar, artificial intelligence, and autonomy sectors.  

Greg Waters is co-founder and executive chair, focused on the semiconductor and networking markets. He is a Director at Cyxtera Technologies, onsemi, Sierra Wireless, and Mythic AI. Waters was previously President and CEO at Integrated Device Technology, and he has held leadership roles at Skyworks Solutions, Agere Systems, and Texas Instruments.  

Co-founder and chief scientist Dr José Martínez Lorenzo is associate professor at Northeastern University and was an NSF Early CAREER recipient for his work in 4D mm-Wave Compressive Sensing and Imaging at One Thousand Volumetric Frames per Second. Matthew Kling is VP Autonomous Systems and Dan Nobbe is VP of RF and Radar Systems, holding over 50 patents in mobile and RF communications. 

Why it’s important: MatrixSpace’s recent funding close will help the company further develop and refine their IP, as well as start marketing their offerings to many flight control guidance and autonomous systems OEM’s that are seeking refined image processing and stratification tools for their aircraft. If proven robust enough for widespread commercial implementation, MatrixSpace’s IP is incredibly valuable; an efficient plug-and-play edge processing system, coupled with sound flight control logic and decision making once traffic conflicts have been detected, will be integral to detect and avoid (DAA systems).

Joby Aviation has announced an expansion of its existing contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program that increases the contract’s potential value by more than $45 million.

Building on more than five years of engagement with defense agencies, the expanded contract leverages Joby’s years of research and technology development and will include new testing to evaluate Joby’s advanced technologies. It brings the potential value of the total contract to more than $75 million.

The contract also widens the company’s defense partnerships to include the U.S. Marine Corps, which will participate in government-directed flight tests and use case exploration, including resupply, relocation of personnel, and emergency medical response applications.

“As we work toward our goal of launching a passenger ridesharing service, we’re grateful for the support of our defense partners. This extension provides valuable support for our ongoing development efforts and allows our partners to see first-hand the potential for this aircraft in their future concept of operations” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.

Joby’s engagement with government partners bolsters the company’s primary goal of launching a commercial passenger service by providing access to testing facilities, early operational experience for government customers, and a partial offset to research and development costs.

On August 3, 2022, Joby attended the White House Summit on Advanced Air Mobility, which convened industry, government agencies, and military personnel to discuss how to advance U.S. leadership in this new technological area.

With the expansion of Joby’s contract, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps all have now identified eVTOL aircraft as a critical area of interest.

Joby’s eVTOL aircraft in flight

In 2020, Joby became the first eVTOL developer to receive military airworthiness approval for its pre-production prototype aircraft. With a maximum range of 150 miles, Joby’s piloted, emissions-free aircraft can transport four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph with an extremely quiet acoustics profile.

Why it matters: This announcement more than doubles Joby’s contract with the DoD. As the armed forces gain interest in studying eVTOL applications and use cases, expect to see more spending on aerial mobility. This effect will no doubt fuel the development curve and have trickling effects into the commercial eVTOL space.

Source: Joby Press Release

Archer, developer of an fully electric, passenger-carrying eVTOL, announced on August 10th that United Airlines has paid the company a $10M deposit for 100 of its initial production aircraft.

In a historic move this week, United Airlines became one of the world’s first major airplanes to make an official pre-purchase of a set of eVTOL aircraft. United originally formed a partnership with Archer in 2021, nearly simultaneously to the company’s launch on the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, United has continued to broaden its partnership with Archer, making further agreements towards commercial operations in May of this year.

This move marks a highly competitive approach by United Airlines, as American Airlines only last month announced an official financial commitment for delivery slots of Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 aircraft.

Archer’s ‘Maker’ is fully electric, with a range capability of 60 miles per flight at speeds of 150mph. According statements by United, the company envisions using the Maker to provide efficient, comfortable, and convenient air transportation within cities around the globe.

A prototype of Archer’s ‘Maker’ on the runway

According to a recent press release, Archer recently completed its production aircraft’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and is now advancing to the next stage of its commercialization efforts. The PDR lays out all aspects of the aircraft’s manufacturing requirements and specifications, necessary pre-conditions for regulatory compliance and market viability. It also ensures that that the development program is on track and the design is mature enough to proceed to the next development phase and kick-off of production of long lead time hardware.

Said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s CEO, “I am incredibly proud of the entire Archer team as we reach this milestone in our partnership with United Airlines. To receive a cash deposit is validation of Archer’s achievements to date, not only with flight testing and product development, but also a great signal of confidence in our roadmap to commercialization. We’re thankful to United for their continued partnership as we usher in this new era in air travel.”

Said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures, “This announcement marks a new important phase in our relationship with Archer, and our commitment to EVTOL technology. We are witnessing an inflection point where consumers, businesses, and policymakers are all aligned to prioritize technology that reduces the impact of climate change. We believe eVTOLs have the potential to both help achieve carbon-neutral travel and serve as an innovative new tool to change how United customers experience comfort, convenience, and efficiency during their commutes within cities across the globe”

Why it’s important:  United’s decision to place a cash deposit for so many of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft signals its desire to be one of the first airline operators to commercialize eVTOL aircraft, additionally lending a high level of extra credibility to the growing eVTOL industry as a whole. Following this commitment, the industry may expect a surge of renewed interest and growing investment, especially as American airlines recently made a similar commitment to Vertical Aerospace’s VX4.

Source // Archer

Related:

• Archer Aviation Goes Public on NYSE (September 2021)
• Archer Aviation’s ‘Maker’ eVTOL aircraft completes first hover flight (December 2021)
• American Airlines Solidifies Delivery Slots for Vertical Aerospace eVTOL Aircraft (July 2021)
• Archer, United Airlines Partner on eVTOL Operations (May 2022)

Blueflite, a new eVTOL company developing mid-size autonomous UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), has awarded a mobility testing grand from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Blueflite’s mid-size UAV concept

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, an organization responsible for business development, job awareness and community development in collaboration with the state government, has created an effort to accelerate the development of electric mobility technologies in the State. In partnership with the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrifications and the Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium, the organization has now provided over $100,000 USD investment matches with Blueflite to develop its aircraft.

Founded in 2018, Blueflite is developing a ‘workhorse drone’ for affordable deliveries, naming its full product as a ‘drone based logistics platform’. Blueflite envisions its product providing affordable, cost-effective deliveries of items like as prepared food, groceries, spare parts for energy and maritime industries, and re-supply and other logistics operations in remote locations. In particular, Blueflite claims that its aircraft could reduce costs by a factor of 5 as compared to current road-based solutions for many of these last mile services.

Said James McClearen, CTO of Blueflite, “What we are building here is cutting-edge robotics technology to enable the transport of goods via drone. It combines advanced AI software, novel materials, and lightweight design. Blueflite’s technology went through a several year development cycle and is increasingly seeing commercialization.”

Dr Noppel, CEO of Blueflite, commented, “Michigan is a premier location for young companies like us to scale, commercialize and grow mobility technologies. Our technology is ready as the drone industry is gaining in momentum.”

Watch a video of Blueflite’s small-scale prototype in flight below:

Why it’s important: As eVTOL and autonomous aerial mobility technologies edge closer to reality, some U.S states are taking action to ensure that they are at the forefront of this new economic industry. Notably, companies in other countries such as EHang in China, and Germany’s Volocopter are beginning to develop these new technologies, meaning that parts of the U.S government would do well to begin laying this groundwork. Blueflite’s product, while in early development, has a well thought-out design that remains realistic for near-future commercialization while still providing excellent function and clear economic value.

Source // Blueflite, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Related:

• EHang Unveils Heavy-lift AAV for Short-to-Medium-Haul Aerial Logistics (October 2020)
• Mayman Aerospace debuts Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV) at Draper Venture CEO Summit (July 2022)
• Wingcopter Set to Deploy 12,000 Delivery Drones in Africa (May 2022)
• FedEx to Test Autonomous Drone Cargo Delivery with Elroy Air (April 2022)
• Skyports to Bring BVLOS Drone Deliveries to Latin America (October 2021)
• Volocopter and DB Schenker Conduct First Proof of Concept for VoloDrone Operations (July 2021)

NASA recently signed a Space Act Agreement with San Francisco-based Zipline to pursue a future vision of U.S. aviation that includes delivery drones and air taxis.

To fully realize this vision, NASA researchers are developing tools and techniques to enable m:N operations – where a small number of humans (m) effectively manage many autonomous vehicles (N). This research includes close coordination with the aviation community to understand industry and public needs for these types of operations.

“These collaborations are quite important,” said Kelley Hashemi, the technical lead for autonomous systems at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. “It’s critical for NASA to gather the community’s input in order to achieve meaningful progress towards this future vision of U.S. aviation.”

Zipline, an instant logistics company that makes deliveries via drone, currently uses m:N operations to transport medical supplies and consumer goods in Northwest Arkansas, Japan, Ghana, and Rwanda. Zipline wants to continue to give back to the aviation community by sharing its lessons learned.

Through this partnership, NASA will use Zipline’s experience to find solutions for broadly implementing m:N operations in the U.S. airspace. In return, Zipline can leverage NASA’s tools and research to determine what is needed to expand its fleet operations in the United States.

“Public-private cooperation is essential to expanding drone delivery and unlocking its benefits for more people,” said Conor French, general counsel of Zipline. “This partnership is an important step in that direction. We’re excited to work with NASA to accelerate growth in drone delivery, both in the U.S. and abroad.”

Zipline also engages in NASA’s m:N working group – a collaboration among government, industry, and academia to identify and reduce m:N operation barriers.

The working group considers a variety of use cases and addresses barriers such as technical, regulatory, safety assurance, and community acceptance. This collaboration will advance the scalability of future U.S. airspace by laying the groundwork for a new operational paradigm.

Why it’s important: These types of initiatives, which require coordination with the aviation community to gauge public demand, are key to realizing a vision of advanced air mobility and implementing various operations across the U.S. This effort is just one example of how NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies project delivers innovative solutions through foundational research and cross-cutting tools.

Source // NASA press release by Diana Fitzgerald – Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Applied intelligence company Daedalean announced late last week that they intend to stand up an office in Phoenix, AZ to add to their current offices in Switzerland and Latvia. This move now opens the US office to serve the region of North and South America.

The company is naming industry tech and sales veteran Dr. Yemaya Bordain as President of its Americas business, trusting her to lead innovation and partnership efforts at the new office. The business development titan joins Daedalean after more than seven years as Global Sales Director at Intel Corporation.

“We have an opportunity to transform the aviation and transportation industries. Daedalean is leading the charge in creating a world where we’ll be keeping up with the Jetsons as we skip over traffic jams in autonomous and situationally-aware aircraft. I am so thrilled to be joining their pioneering team. It is an exciting challenge to play a key role in achieving this future,” says Yemaya Bordain. 

Dr. Bordain joins Daedalean as a recognized business leader in the embedded aerospace and defense industry and an expert in the safety certification of multi-core avionics systems. She architected and grew the global adoption of Intel’s product offerings addressing safety in the aerospace industry. She managed industry-leading advances in partnership with top global OEMs, including Lockheed-Martin Corporation, Collins Aerospace, Indra Sistemas, and Mercury Systems. Bordain will lead the new office and foster a robust US presence that will serve as a springboard for partnerships, business opportunities, and furthering relationships with American corporations, business leaders, and regulators. 

Since launching in 2016, Daedalean has been at the forefront of developing AI software for autonomous flight control for civil aircraft and urban air mobility. The superior perception and advanced flight control software in the air brings more safety to the space that was long dependent on a humans-only cockpit. 

Alongside American partners, the company has already added an exciting jolt to the US aerospace sector, creating a direct market path to bring the first-ever machine learning-based avionics systems. 

Since its inception, Daedalean’s team has also worked with aviation regulators, developing relationships on both sides of the Atlantic and publishing joint reports with EASA and the FAA. 

To drive their ambitious work, Daedalean boasts a team of more than 90 people with expertise in machine learning and computer vision, aviation-grade software engineering, flight testing, safety assessment, and certification. The publicly disclosed total amount of financing for the company up to date is $72 million.

Why it’s important: Daedalean’s move to stand up an office in the United States allows for a greater sphere of influence for the company as they work to broaden the application scope of their guidance products. Further, their recent appointment of Dr. Bordain to lead Americas activities for the company should take advantage of professional relationships with the technology landscape domestically in the US and within North and South America, while also building Daedaleans’ book of business with customers outside of Europe.

The AIR ONE, a two-seater eVTOL made for private ownership, has completed successful hover tests of a full-scale prototype of the aircraft.

Above: A full-scale prototype of the AIR ONE takes flight in northern Israel

AIR, an Israeli company, has been developing the AIR ONE for several years, with the vision of ‘Making the Ultimate Freedom of Flying Accessible.’ The AIR ONE is one of the few eVTOL aircraft in development designed for private ownership and use. Its small size allows it to fit in the common driveway or garage with its wings folded, while still retaining the ability to take-off and land fully vertically, and fly at about 150 mph for for about 110 miles per flight.

AIR was founded with the intent of making flying more accessible to more people, setting the price tag of its aircraft at about $150,000 USD. The AIR ONE prototype has now successfully completed a hover test after its airworthiness certificate. According to recent press release, the AIR ONE completed multiple hovers throughout the day and the following two weeks, safely lifting off, hovering in place, and returning to the ground, performing optimally in a stable flight envelope.

In the hover test, all of the aircraft’s systems functioned as designed, providing full control and stability. Notably, the AIR ONE’s energy use during flight was exactly as predicted, demonstrating its ability to execute expected performance metrics. AIR plans to expand to full flight envelope testing throughout 2022.

Rani Plaut, CEO & Co-founder of AIR, said, “It was truly awe-inspiring to watch AIR ONE lift off the ground for the first time. We’ve been on this upward journey for nearly five years and cannot wait for the public to join us on this ride. his momentous milestone secures AIR’s spot as a market leader in the personal air mobility space, making the thrill of flight achievable on a daily basis. We look forward to continued growth as we launch into the next phase of development.”

Why it’s Important: This hover flight tests marks significant market leadership for the AIR ONE. While many companies are designing larger aircraft capable of acting as air taxis, The AIR ONE is a leader in the market for private eVTOL ownership. By completing this flight test and certification milestone, the AIR team proves its ability to complete its goals and vision, adding a great deal of extra credibility to its path to market. As the AIR ONE continues to meet production timeline goals, followers can expect an increase in pre-orders and in general interest for the private-use eVTOL market.

Source AIR, Cision PR Newswire

Related:

• AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby (May 2022)
• AIR CEO Discusses AIR ONE’s Role in Aerial Mobility (January 2022)
• Israel-based AIR Unveils its First eVTOL Prototype (October 2021)