Uber Technologies and South Korean telecommunications company SK Telecom have agreed to form a joint venture for a specialized mobility business that will be spun off from SK Telecom. The new business will both support current on-demand ground transportation operations in tandem with planning future aerial mobility services. SK Telecom stated that its board had approved the creation of this new business, tentatively named “T Map Mobility”, and Uber has agreed to invest over $100 million into the joint venture. 

SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho stated that his company’s goal with T Map Mobility is to “usher in a new era of future mobility technologies, including flying vehicles.” T Map is South Korea’s largest mobility platform with around 13 million monthly active users, and the company plans to use data from these operations to help design aerial mobility infrastructure. 

Rendering of the EmbraerX eVTOL, a partner to the Uber Elevate project

SK Telecom stated that T Map Mobility would leverage 5G, artificial intelligence and T Map capabilities to offer optimal route planning, 3-D high definition mapping for high-altitude geographic features, and intelligent air traffic control systems for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. SK Telecom is a member of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Team Korea, a public-private consultative body launched in June to commercialize drone taxis by 2025.

Why it’s important: Leveraging South Korea’s most popular mobility platform, this joint venture between SK Telecom and Uber will accelerate the development of ride share services in South Korea on the ground to eventually transition to the air. By combining these businesses, the venture will provide an “all-in-one” mobility service that will utilizing existing ground transportation networks to grow into eventual aerial mobility services. By establishing this partnership, SK Telecom, Uber, and South Korea are laying down groundwork for air mobility in a major and systemic way. 

Source // Aju Business Daily

Turkish aerospace company Baykar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Co’s Cezeri successfully conducted hover tests in its first maiden test flight. Weighing in at 230 kg (507 lb.), the prototype flying car ascended to about 10 meters in the air during trials. According to Baykar Chief Technology Officer Selcuk Bayraktar, “We will make more advanced prototypes in the upcoming process, and perform flights with a human [on board].”

Bayarktar also noted that an expected timeframe could see the launching of the commercial variant after all development and trials to be after 10-15 years. “After smart cars, the revolution in automotive technology will be in flying cars. So from this point of view, we are preparing for tomorrow’s races, rather than today’s,” he said.

Unveiled at Teknofest in 2019, the Cezeri is one seater quadcopter that is expected to be able to reach a flight ceiling of 2000 meters and a maximum speed of 100 kph. The craft’s name is inspired by Ismail al-Jazari, a renowned Muslim engineer who lived between 1136 and 1206. The company already produces drones for both armed and non-armed forces as well as control systems, simulators, and avionics systems. Selcuk Bayraktar has confirmed that plans are in place to conduct test flights with a human pilot.

Turkish aerospace company Baykar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Co’s Cezeri successfully conducted hover tests in its first maiden test flight.

Why it’s important: Countries and companies worldwide are continuing to make inquiries and decisions to enter the aerial mobility market. Turkey, Japan, and many other countries are now all looking into supporting their own native aerial mobility vehicles with political and financial backing. With this latest technological milestone, Turkey and companies within it hope to continue to expand domestic aerial mobility technology in the coming years.
Source // The EurAsian Times

Pipistrel’s electric airplane, the Velis Electro, will soon take flight as it prepares for its 700 km trip from Zurich to the North Sea island, Norderney, after obtaining type certification from the EASA. The Velis will fly a total of 700 km (435 miles) across Germany, and will look to break or match seven world records along the way. 

The Velis Electro is an all-electric 2-seater trainer aircraft, and is the upgrade over Pipistrel’s previous Alpha Electro aircraft. The plane possesses a top speed of 181 km/h (112 mph) and a service ceiling of 3,660 m (12,000 ft). As for its power capabilities, the Velis Electro runs on a 60 kW liquid-cooled electric motor running on a 345 VDC electrical system as well as two redundant parallel batteries providing a total of 24.8 kWh of energy, which serve to give the Velis a max range at around 100 km (62 miles), meaning that the airplane will need to recharge a minimum of six times during the trip. A normal recharge of the batteries (from 35% to 95%) takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes. A full recharge (30-100%) takes up to 2 hours.

Pipistrel’s team hopes to break the following records during the flight from Zurich to Norderney:

• Lowest energy consumption (kWh/100 km) over 700 km
• Highest average speed over 700 km (km/h)
• Highest altitude ever reached by an electric aircraft (metre above main sea level)
• Fastest climb performance from 0-1000m / 1000-2000m / 2000-3000m (m/s)
• Highest average speed over 100km (km/h)
• Lowest number of intermediate stops on 700km distance (number of stops)
• Longest electrically flown distance in 24 / 48 / 56 hours (km)

According to team member Marco Bulhozer, “Flying with kerosene is extremely harmful to the climate. Aviation currently accounts for around five percent of the global warming, and the trend is increasing. The emissions at high altitude are a particular problem that arise from air traffic. We want to show that there are alternatives, even if we don’t manage the whole route in one go, CO₂-neutral flying is already possible today! Most small planes fly distances shorter than 200 kilometers anyway, and you could do that electrically.”

Why it’s important: Electric flight is constantly improving, as both demand and innovation continue to head towards environmentally friendly methods of energy. Especially for aerial mobility, where providing transportation that is quick and environmentally friendly is one of its biggest draws,the Velis Electro’s flight can publicly demonstrate that there are alternatives methods of travel such as CO₂-neutral flying and how far electric technology has developed so far.

Source // Clean Technica

teTra Aviation, winner of the $100,000 Pratt & Whitney Disruptor Award at Boeing’s GoFly personal flight contest in February, has recently partnered with Yoshimasu Seisakusho in a capital and business partnership that will have Yoshimasu investing 50 million yen (~$470,000) in the University of Tokyo aviation startup. 

The teTra 3

After winning the Disruptor Award for their single passenger hybrid eVTOL aircraft design, teTra now secures an additional investor in Yoshimasu, a Tokyo-based aircraft engine part manufacturer. Yoshimasu will also aid the startup in developing titanium and aluminum components that need to withstand high temperatures. Details are limited on teTra’s aircraft, known as the teTra 3, but the company plans to commercialize the product in the U.S. by 2021. 

teTra, led by a doctoral student at the University of Tokyo Tasuku Nakai, is notably the first Japanese company to receive a test flight permit for an eVTOL vehicle from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. 

The GoFly Prize is sponsored by Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, as well as more than 20 national and international aviation and innovation organizations. All teams participating in the competition have also benefited from the guidance and expertise of a dedicated Mentors and Masters program.

Why it’s important: teTra Aviation takes their next step after taking the Disruptor Award from the GoFly competition. Securing Yoshimashu’s partnership presents a good milestone for teTra, and indicates a strong future for the Japanese startup in the aerial mobility industry. 

Source // Nikkei Asian Review

BAE Systems is designing a series of power sources that will replace or reduce the need for combustion engines in modern aircraft. According to a BAE Systems press release from August 27th, “[BAE is] pairing flight controls with our aircraft power management and energy systems. Our teams are at work and expect to have operational prototypes of aircraft electrification systems for urban air mobility and regional transport jets later this year.” The press release also notes BAE Systems’ recent partnerships with Jaunt Air Mobility and Wright Electric, which hint at the types of systems that could possibly be revealed in greater detail in a few months.

“We need smarter, cleaner travel now more than ever. Greenhouse gases are on the rise and populations are growing at a rapid pace. This has cities turning to cleaner forms of public transportation on the ground, in the water, and soon enough – in the air. The first of these next-generation electric flights is set to take off in just a few years with urban air mobility aircraft. ”

“With decades of expertise in electric propulsion and flight electronics, BAE Systems is ready to help these small electric aircraft take off, by designing a series of power sources that will replace or reduce the need for an aircraft’s typical combustion engine.”

While the new electric systems have not yet been finished, BAE Systems is confident that when released, each system will massively cut gas emissions and help save on fuel costs. One of the main reasons for doing so is to combat the increased congestion of traffic around the world. BAE Systems hopes that with their new electric power and propulsion systems, it would form a new method of commute that would reduce car traffic and therefore reduce emissions.

To successfully design these systems, BAE Systems has almost 30 years of experience in aircraft electric actuation systems, and their technology has been adopted by  the transit bus industry, sending nearly 12,000 buses around the world with electric power. “The flight controls leverage more than 40 years of investment in innovation and have flown on a variety of aircraft.” BAE System’s work in their electric power systems will most definitely improve current battery technology, allowing for aircraft that will last for millions of total travel miles. 

“The path ahead is uncharted, but BAE Systems is in familiar territory. When the company first created an electric actuation system for aircraft nearly three decades ago it was ahead of its time. Now, it is ready once again to turn science fiction into reality.”

“[BAE Systems’] electrification technology quickly found a place in the transit bus industry and is now on more than 12,000 buses around the world. “

Source // BAE Systems Press Release

Pittsburgh-based company Near Earth Autonomy, a leader in the development of autonomous flight systems, partners with Kaman Aerospace and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to develop an intelligent, full-scale autonomy system for the K-MAX helicopter, “a large-scale transport aircraft capable of lifting a payload of over 6,000 pounds”. While initially in development for the K-MAX, the end goal is to develop the capability to apply to any large VTOL aircraft. 

K-MAX Helicopter | Courtesy of Near Earth Autonomy.

The methodology behind the autonomous system relies on lidar, or Light Detection and Ranging, and onboard computing to sense the surrounding environment in real-time for safe flight and landing. The aircraft will be able to sense its environment to make real-time flight decisions such as deciding to fly around objects in the flight path and selecting clear places to land or to drop off cargo. The implications of the development of safe autonomous aerial logistics are huge; Near Earth’s autonomy system will have applications in numerous industries, including but not limited to aerial mobility, military, delivery, and medical.

Environmental awareness is key for the aircraft to be able to avoid obstacles and complete autonomous missions efficiently and without accident. The image shows the autonomy system’s awareness of the physical world around it. | Courtesy of Near Earth Autonomy.

According to Sanjiv Singh, CEO of Near Earth, “Our past efforts laid a strong foundation for solving complex autonomy challenges for small, medium, and large vehicles. Thanks to our dedicated team, partners, and sponsors, we are moving from the art of the possible to the art of the practical and in specific, to making autonomous flight safe, efficient, and robust enough for daily operation. This program will serve as an important milestone in making autonomous logistics a reality.”

The mounted autonomy system. | Courtesy of Near Earth Autonomy.

Why it’s important: Numerous aerospace companies are currently in the process of developing their own eVTOLs, some with the intention of immediate autonomous flight and others that intend to go with a pilot first, and upgrade to autonomous flight in the future. Near Earth’s technology will be able to allow companies to resolve the issue of developing their own autonomy systems and accelerate the development of aerial mobility services.

Source // Near Earth Autonomy Press Release (8/21/20)

Tokyo-based aerospace company SkyDrive Inc. plans to release their domestic flying taxi service in 2023, according to a Japan Times report. According to CEO Tomohiro Fukazawa, by 2050, anyone would be able to fly to any destination within Tokyo’s 23 wards in 10 minutes or less. To bring such a service to reality, the Japanese government is aiding the aerospace company, pushing for the decongestion of traffic in urban areas, another option for disaster relief, and to provide a new mode of transportation for mountainous areas and remote islands.

A scale model of the SD-XX concept car | COURTESY OF SKYDRIVE / CARTIVATOR

SkyDrive originated from the members of Cartivator, a voluntary organization formed by former automobile and aviation engineers. Founded in July 2018, SkyDrive has since been working towards bringing aerial mobility to reality, conducting most of their tests at their facility in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture. Their concept design, the SD-XX, is one of the smaller eVTOLs currently in development at 1.5 meters tall and 4 meters by 3.5 meters across. The SD-XX would be able to fly at 100 kph, with an envisioned range of under 100 kilometers. According to Fukuzawa, SkyDrive would be able to produce eVTOLs that can run on normal roads by the late 2020s, adding extra versatility to the SD-XX which can already currently perform takeoff and landing from any flat surface. 

SkyDrive’s current plans are to release their flying car service by 2023 in either Osaka or Tokyo, and release a fully autonomous commercial model for the general public by 2028. Initial flights would take place over the sea, to mitigate any initial risk of flying over highly urban areas. Fukuzawa expects to have 1000 people riding by the second year of service, in 2024. While mostly autonomous, initial flights would have a pilot as well in case of emergency. Final costs are not yet determined, but would be “significantly less than a helicopter flight”. While the service would initially be domestic, SkyDrive intends to eventually expand overseas, especially into Southeast Asia.

Two of the biggest hurdles will  be certification for commercial flights and ensuring the same safety and reliability as that of existing aircraft, according to Fukuzawa, but the expectation is that they will achieve commercial certification in 2 years.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive Inc. (left) and Nobuo Kishi, SkyDrive’s Chief Technology Officer | COURTESY OF SKYDRIVE / CARTIVATOR

“About 100 years have passed since the debut of the Ford Model T, and we’re about to introduce an air taxi service in 2023, paving the way to achieve air travel anywhere without a need for roads or train tracks. There are many other rivals in Europe and the United States, but we’d like to manufacture a vehicle that provides a comfortable ride with “Made in Japan” quality.”

Why it’s important: Change in human mobility happens roughly once a century, and CEO Fukuzawa is confident that SkyDrive will be the one to bring about the next “mobility revolution”. With a multitude of companies planning to offer their own aerial rideshare services, SkyDrive in Japan will be one to watch out for, especially as their commercial certification date grows nearer.

Related:

• SkyDrive to Exhibit First Public Flight Demo Following 100th Corporate Sponsorship
• SkyDrive Leads Japan’s Flying Car Development with Manned Test Flights
• SkyDrive Tests Heavy-Duty Delivery Drone

Source // Japan Times

The state of New Hampshire will become the first in the United States to pass legislation that officially regulates and authorizes the use of flying cars on public roads. However, the bill specifically targets “flying cars”, meaning that many of the vehicles in development in the aerial mobility industry may not apply to this definition. New Hampshire’s landmark bill refers to what it calls “roadable aircraft”, or “Any aircraft capable of taking off and landing from a suitable airfield which is also designed to be driven on public roadways as a conveyance.” Owners will also be required to have a valid aircraft registration, conduct personal inspections, and pay a $2000 USD municipal registration permit fee. The legislation also establishes a commission to further “study the on road usage of non-traditional motor vehicles, such as all terrain vehicles and golf carts.”

PAL-V’s Liberty, an example of the “roadable aircraft” as defined by New Hampshire’s bill.

New Hampshire’s bill will most likely refer to vehicles such as PAL-V’s Liberty or Terrafugia’s Transition, where the key distinction from eVTOLs will be the ability to drive on public roads. Most eVTOLs are more similar to helicopters rather than cars, and while both eVTOLs and “roadable aircraft” will be able to offer taxi services, eVTOLs will not use public roads or require runways to take off. As such, New Hampshire’s bill may have little to no impact on the vast majority of the aerial mobility industry. 

Terrafugia’s Transition

Why it’s important: Even if New Hampshire’s landmark bill results in little to no effect on the eVTOL industry, the fact remains that the state becomes the first to officially address and legislate the existence of “non-traditional motor vehicles”, or flying cars. Considering that vehicles such as PAL-V’s Liberty is due to reach FAA certification by next year, the first real world method of traffic decongestion may come from “roadable aircraft”, which at worst could be a stepping stone to more futuristic mobility solutions, and at best could be a very real competitor and relative to the eVTOL industry. 

Source // Aviation Today

EmbraerX, the advanced technologies division of the Brazilian aerospace company, has recently conducted the first flight of its new eVTOL aircraft design in a simulator. The eVTOL has also undergone wind tunnel testing and flights of a downscaled model, but a release date for the design has not been announced yet.

According to Andre Stein, EmbraerX head of strategy and urban air mobility, the simulators recreated accurate flight control parameters and control laws based off of real world conditions in order to prepare for eventual type certification flight testing. EmbraerX engineers have also already been testing the design’s fifth generation fly-by-wire controls, and the aircraft will initially support piloted operations but will be able to later upgrade to autonomous flight. Stein is confident that with Embraer’s vast experience in the aerospace industry, they will quickly be able to certify a reliable and efficient aircraft design.

“One of the things we have talked about is how to leverage our know-how to develop new aircraft, and [we saw this] when we did the first flight in the E2 because we broke records in expanding the flight envelope,” he said. “A lot of [eVTOL] startups rush to fly something just to have something to show investors.”

Concept model of the EmbraerX eVTOL. Photograph: Embraer

The simulator, located at the company’s headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos, will be qualified to test the man-machine interfaces of the eVTOL design, using both experienced and inexperienced pilots. Luiz Valentini, engineering manager, said that EmbraerX works on the assumption that the aerial mobility industry will need to rely on pilots with a large variety in background and experience, meaning that the design of a very user-friendly control interface will be crucial for the new aircraft. The simulator will also allow for the preparation for an eventual shift to fully autonomous operations, giving information on detect and avoid systems, and other capabilities necessary for autonomous flight. “We are trying to create a vehicle that we can show will have the flexibility to operate in different airspaces around the world and it gives us the confidence to be able to facilitate autonomous flight capabilities before we fly the aircraft,” says Valentini.

Details on the new aircraft are limited. EmbraerX’s eVTOL will be a four-person all electric aircraft, with eight, fixed propellers attached to two parallel wings for vertical lift, while a pair of ducted fans are attached to the rear of the aircraft for cruise flight.

While a date for the aircraft has not been released yet, EmbraerX has also begun work on the required infrastructure for the design, intending to incorporate studies dedicated to the development of urban air traffic management into a consultation document by the first quarter of 2021, and begin implementation of a fully functional urban air traffic infrastructure system. Stein stresses that Embraer remains focused on supporting the wider “eco-system” for urban air mobility (UAM), including air traffic management and ground infrastructure. “Our goal is to make it [UAM] more accessible and scalable, taking account of both hybrid-electric and electric aircraft,” said David Rottblatt, leader of EmbraerX’s urban air traffic management project.

Photograph: Embraer

Why it’s important: With the right infrastructure in place, EmbraerX sees potential for an aerial mobility market, especially as eVTOL aircraft change the scope of air transportation in and around cities. With extensive experience spanning decades in designing and certifying aircraft, EmbraerX possesses the ability to create a working, reliable eVTOL design, and create the necessary ecosystem for such a design to fly in.
Source // AIN Online

One year after revealing their innovative design for the first fully hydrogen powered VTOL aircraft, Alaka’i Technologies has come out with some revisions into their development of the Skai. The Skai gained much acclaim with the announcement that it would use liquid hydrogen as opposed to electric or conventional. An initial design was proposed by Alaka’i back in June 2019, and in short, the Skai was planned to feature a range of 400 miles (644 km) and a flight time of 4 hours using a simple 6 rotor multicopter design. According to CTO Brian Morrison, this simplicity in design was the key advantage of the Skai’s design: less complexity in design would mean both less maintenance and quicker certification.

The Alaka’i Skai Photograph: Alaka’i Technologies

A year in, Alaka’i has slightly shifted their milestones for the Skai. The original Skai design revealed last year has progressed to the tethered flight stage, and currently Alaka’i is working on a refined prototype design based off of the first one. So far, all testing has been done with an automated piloting system. Manned flight is expected to be begun in early 2021, but according to Alaka’i CEO Steve Hanvey, it could take longer: “Right now, we’re capable of flying it from the ground. In fact at this point I’m flying it about 50 feet away from the aircraft. Very quiet, very little air wash compared to a traditional helicopter. I’m flying it with my thumbs like you’d fly a drone. In the software, it’s capable of taking off and hovering by itself, but we prefer to have physical control.”

Photograph: Alaka’i Technologies

As for Alaka’i’s certification process, the Skai is currently two years into the FAA’s certification process, which is expected to take five years. Additionally, Alaka’i has an experimental ticket application ready once the Skai is able to fly off tethers and with a pilot. The process will take time before its finished, but Hanvey remains confident. “I’ve been certifying aircraft since 1980,” he says. “Military programs, helicopters, fixed wings, small and large, Our whole team brings experience from the aerospace business around what it takes to get an aircraft successfully certified, and what does it take to support it.”

The initial design for the Skai was ambitious, but still not impossible. “I think some of the statements made previously were perhaps overly ambitious, made in the excitement of the moment,” says Skai’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer Bruce Gunter, “But that’s what happens when you’re pushing the envelope in that respect. We’re working hard to get there.”

Photograph: Alaka’i Technologies

Why it’s important: The Skai’s main draw comes from the innovative usage of liquid hydrogen, a choice that allows the Skai to both outpace competitors in terms of speed, range, and maintenance. With a much higher energy density than lithium batteries, liquid hydrogen offers genuine long-range flight capabilities, as well as fast refuelling. Used in a fuel cell electric powertrain, its only local emissions are water, and there are a growing number of ways to produce it in a completely green and sustainable fashion, some of which are beginning to become cost-competitive with jet fuel, giving the Skai high potential to become one of the driving forces of the aerial mobility industry.

Source // New Atlas