Category: Infrastructure
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Announces Urban Air Mobility Partnership
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the creation of the Urban Air Mobility Partnership, an initiative that will help shape Los Angeles into one of the cities at the forefront of aerial mobility. Part of a public-private partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and Urban Movement Labs (UML), the Urban Air Mobility Partnership was...

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Announces Urban Air Mobility Partnership

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the creation of the Urban Air Mobility Partnership, an initiative that will help shape Los Angeles into one of the cities at the forefront of aerial mobility. Part of a public-private partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and Urban Movement Labs (UML), the Urban Air Mobility Partnership was formed in order to educate and engage LA’s residents with the idea of introducing aerial mobility by 2023.

Los Angeles and Urban Movement Labs will lead a multi-stakeholder effort to visualize a vertiport and help Los Angeles identify and resolve challenges identified by local, diverse stakeholders surrounding public airspace and property rights.
“Los Angeles is where we turn today’s ideas into tomorrow’s reality — a place where a barrier-breaking concept like urban air mobility can truly get off the ground,” said Mayor Garcetti. “The Urban Air Mobility Partnership will make our city a force for cleaner skies, safer transportation, expanded prosperity, and stunning innovation, and provide a template for how other local governments can take this new technology to even greater heights.”
Working together, Los Angeles and Urban Movement Labs will lead a multi-stakeholder effort to visualize a vertiport and help Los Angeles identify and resolve challenges identified by local, diverse stakeholders surrounding public airspace and property rights. This one year partnership will also develop a policy toolkit that will be able to be utilized and deployed nationwide.
With financial backing from the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group, UML will also work together with Estolano Advisors to hire an Urban Air Mobility Fellow who will work towards advancing a comprehensive public engagement strategy for aerial mobility, including how it will strengthen the local economy, the schedule for when vehicles will take flight, and how it will impact and improve the local citizens’ daily lives.
“Now more than ever, with so many suffering the impacts of a devastating pandemic, Los Angeles needs a resilient transportation network that can adapt to the needs of its communities with the flip of a switch,” said LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds. “As we prepare to include [aerial mobility] as a viable option for moving goods and people across our City, it is critical that we hear from stakeholders and design a system that works for all Angelenos.”
Why it’s important: With the city of Los Angeles now officially working towards this development, the Urban Air Mobility Partnership will set a powerful precedent for how diverse stakeholders can collaborate on a safe, community-centered approach to integrating aerial mobility technology into existing and new multimodal platforms.
Source // sUAS News
uAvionix Announces Participation in Deployment of Vantis, North Dakota’s UAS System
uAvionix announced that they will be participating in the deployment of Vantis, North Dakota’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) infrastructure and network. A partner of Thales’ TopSky Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) platform, uAvionix will provide infrastructural support to Vantis through the deployment of terrestrial command and control (C2) infrastructure and a cloud-based C2 service, enabling...

uAvionix Announces Participation in Deployment of Vantis, North Dakota’s UAS System

uAvionix announced that they will be participating in the deployment of Vantis, North Dakota’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) infrastructure and network. A partner of Thales’ TopSky Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) platform, uAvionix will provide infrastructural support to Vantis through the deployment of terrestrial command and control (C2) infrastructure and a cloud-based C2 service, enabling centralized management, coordination, and C2 handoffs. The successful integration of the C2 system into Vantis is an important first step for the goal of eventually introducing UAS systems into global airspace, a milestone that will be vital for integrating aerial mobility into the transportation sector.
Led by the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, the deployment of Vantis will enable future BVLOS missions across the key-site deployment area of McKenzie County, ND. A key part of that ability will come from the uAvionix’s C2 service, which will be able to monitor overall system performance, the health and signal strength of each radio on the network, location monitoring and tracking, and centralized control.
The C2 service leverages uAvionix’s microLink Airborne Radio Systems (ARS) and skyStation Ground Radio Systems (GRS) developed to ASTM standards. microLink and skyStation are dual-architecture MIMO digital frequency hopping radios which enable intelligent make-before-break (MBB) transitions from one GRS to the next in long-range operations, enhancing the overall safety case.
In addition to the C2 service, uAvionix will additionally contribute to the overall low-altitude airspace surveillance picture through the deployment of its pingStation networkable ADS-B receivers.
“Thales is excited to partner with uAvionix in North Dakota to deploy a BVLOS C2 network infrastructure and service,” said Frank Matus, Director of Digital Aviation Market Development for Thales. “uAvionix achievements in the areas of surveillance and TSO avionics is instrumental in addressing the command and communications challenges faced by the emerging UAS industry in North Dakota and across the national airspace system.”
Why it’s important: Vantis represents both an exciting possibility on its own as well as the future of UAS integration into global airspace. With this, uAvionix advances its mission to overcome operational and technical challenges of UAS integration into global airspace by providing networks with infrastructure and certified low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) avionics for mission-critical applications.
Source // uAvionix Press Release (11/19/2020)
PRICE Systems Joins Access Skyways to Support the Integration of Aerial Mobility
PRICE Systems, an industry leader in cost estimation technology, has joined with Access Skyways, a group of partner companies working to support the integration of aerial mobility transportation worldwide. PRICE Systems has previously been a critical component of progressing the aerial mobility industry, providing model-based cost engineering technology and consulting to predict total lifecycle costs (PRICE Cost Analytics) – down...

PRICE Systems Joins Access Skyways to Support the Integration of Aerial Mobility

PRICE Systems, an industry leader in cost estimation technology, has joined with Access Skyways, a group of partner companies working to support the integration of aerial mobility transportation worldwide.
PRICE Systems has previously been a critical component of progressing the aerial mobility industry, providing model-based cost engineering technology and consulting to predict total lifecycle costs (PRICE Cost Analytics) – down to electric components and transportation infrastructure. With PRICE Systems now joining Access Skyways, PRICE’s Cost Analytics technology will now be able to provide direct advice to Access Skyways.
Initially formed by Jaunt Air Mobility, Access Skyways works to help organizations through the implementation process of aerial mobility, ranging from general transit to vertiports to air operations. Access Skyways develops and provides data and analysis on infrastructure design, supply and demand cost analysis, flight operations, electrification, existing flight infrastructure, and maintenance and repair. Jaunt Air Mobility is also a designer and manufacturer of its own piloted (or autonomous) electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban and regional mobility. Jaunt is also a named partner with Uber Elevate, and will provide eVTOL aircraft for Uber’s planned flight operations.

Initially formed by Jaunt Air Mobility, Access Skyways works to help organizations through the implementation process of aerial mobility, ranging from general transit to vertiports to air operations. Featured above is Jaunt Air Mobility’s eVTOL, designed for urban air mobility transportation.
According to Anthony Demarco, CEO of PRICE Systems, “The future of flight is real and we are excited to bring our aeronautics cost estimating experience to the table and join a strong group of companies whose paths have crossed before.”
Nate Sirirojvisuth, PhD, Sr. Cost Research Analyst at PRICE Systems states that, “We have great eVTOL technology, but we need to optimize it for the market, not just performance.”
Why it’s important: Access Skyways represents an important part of the aerial mobility industry, providing aid for organizations in managing the complexity of introducing a new system of transit to a preexisting transit ecosystem. PRICE Systems’ inclusion will further support the integration of future transport for aerial mobility worldwide.
Source // PR Newswire
Humatics Secures $30M in Series B Funding
Humatics has secured $30 million in Series B funding to scale its sub-millimeter Milo Microlocation System and increase its footprint in the transit industry with its proprietary Rail Navigation System, among other investments, company leadership announced today. Blackhorn Ventures led the funding round, with Tenfore Holdings, Fontinalis Partners, Airbus Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, and Presidio Ventures following suit. The $30...

Humatics Secures $30M in Series B Funding

Humatics has secured $30 million in Series B funding to scale its sub-millimeter Milo Microlocation System and increase its footprint in the transit industry with its proprietary Rail Navigation System, among other investments, company leadership announced today.
Blackhorn Ventures led the funding round, with Tenfore Holdings, Fontinalis Partners, Airbus Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, and Presidio Ventures following suit. The $30 million infusion grows the company’s funding by a third, bringing its total raised to over $80 million.
“This visionary $30 million investment will help bring Humatics microlocation technology to scale across the globe” said David Mindell, CEO of Humatics. “Microlocation technology is useful especially now, as we try to keep each other safe by providing space and keeping people and goods moving. We are grateful to Blackhorn and our other investors for sharing that vision.”
“We’re excited to lead the Series B round and invest in the Humatics team,” said Trevor Zimmerman, managing partner of Blackhorn Ventures. “Humatics’ focus on developing location and navigation technology for the transit space and millimeter scale precise positioning technology for manufacturing, logistics, construction and medical unlocks unprecedented collaboration between humans, machines and infrastructure. We look forward to working with the Humatics team to leverage the tremendous success they’ve had with their Rail Navigation System and Microlocation System.”
Humatics proprietary Milo Microlocation System has broad uses across the manufacturing, logistics, industrial equipment, healthcare and construction spaces, helping to identify with millimeter precision where objects are in relation to each other, facilitating seamless collaboration between people, machines, robots and infrastructure. In manufacturing, the technology improves the speed and accuracy of autonomous lineside delivery, making it possible for lineside workers to take on other high-value tasks, and to facilitate tool endpoint tracking for faster, and better-quality assembly procedures. For other markets such as healthcare, construction, and security, Humatics envisions this technology fundamentally transforming how we conduct surgeries, manage secure spaces and utilize construction tools to make sure everything goes according to plan.

Humatics uses UWB, IMU and offers integration with additional sensors for additional safety, and robustness.
In transportation, Humatics Rail Navigation System improves transit vehicle navigation and positioning which helps trains run closer together, speeding up throughput and improving safety in some of the nation’s busiest urban environments. These upgrades are proving critical as transit systems recover from Covid-19 slowdowns.
Humatics recently completed a successful pilot project to install its ultra-wideband technology on 5.5 miles of track in New York City’s subway system. The pilot showcased the technology’s durability, ease of installation, and potential to speed train throughput in one of the busiest transportation networks on the globe. For more information on Humatics’ work on the MTA UWB Pilot, see here.
The company also aims to expand its transportation footprint beyond New York City– helping large- and mid-market transportation systems across the United States and globally upgrade their signaling systems for quicker throughput, improved environmental durability, and reduced maintenance times.
Why it matters: Humatics Round B funding drew in investors well known within the aerospace industry including Airbus Ventures and Lockheed Martin Ventures. The technology, while being demonstrated in rail technology, offers opportunities to provide incredible opportunities within the aerial mobility space. With Humatics micro-location system, eVTOL vehicles will be able to operate in greater densities and navigate around surrounding hazards. Look for companies like Humatics to be at the center of the aerial mobility navigation conversation.
Toyota’s Advanced Development Group Will Launch $800 Million Dollar Global Mobility Investment Fund in 2021
The Toyota Research Institute (TRI-AD) announced in a September 10 press release that it would be creating a global growth investment fund targeted at new forms of mobility. The fund is to be named Woven, L.P, with the mission “Mobility to Love, Safety to Live”. Initial commitment is reported at $800 million, with a target January 2021 launch date. The...

Toyota’s Advanced Development Group Will Launch $800 Million Dollar Global Mobility Investment Fund in 2021

The Toyota Research Institute (TRI-AD) announced in a September 10 press release that it would be creating a global growth investment fund targeted at new forms of mobility. The fund is to be named Woven, L.P, with the mission “Mobility to Love, Safety to Live”.
Initial commitment is reported at $800 million, with a target January 2021 launch date. The announcement also forms a triad of operating companies, including Woven CORE, Woven Alpha, and Woven Capital, all under the umbrella of Woven Planet. The fund is set to be located in the United States, and operate over a period of 10 years. This timeline would align with the majority of the legwork to complete certification processes, final design and manufacturing implementation details, and stand up baseline infrastructure for initial commercial operations of aerial mobility aircraft (among other mobility sources) at least in part. While the fund is more diversified than aerial mobility technologies and the respective enabling technologies, future blueprints for technical development in the mobility space are increasingly sourcing common design principles (electronic propulsion or automated guidance/directional control on ground) and operations interface (application or dashboard based ride sharing/hailing/management) that would enable investments in certain technologies intended for on-ground or in-air transport to benefit other sectors as well.
From Toyota’s press release, the fund focuses on “Growth-stage companies with innovative technologies and business models in areas such as autonomous mobility, automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data and analytics, connectivity, and smart cities”. The Research Institute also shared via their website that they intend on hiring new personnel to assist with the development and management of the Fund.
Why it’s important: Toyota is no stranger to the aerial mobility industry, having previously invested in Joby and SkyDrive. This announcement further commits the company toward a majority stake in many mobility industries, including that of aerial mobility. To date, one of the largest investments in an aerial mobility company included involvement from Toyota: Joby’s massive $590 million dollar commitment in January of 2020. While the larger fund being announced by Toyota won’t exceed that dollar amount for any one company, in all likelihood, the potential total benefit could be similar when a series of smaller investments made in multiple smaller enabling technology companies are considered.
Read the full press release from Toyota here.
LG Chem’s Li-S Battery Powered EAV-3 Sets Altitude Record
Seoul, South Korea based LG Chem, Ltd and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute set an altitude record with their LG Li-S (lithium sulfur) battery powered EAV-3 UAV on August 30th. The EAV-3 reached an altitude of 22km above sea level, or approximately 72,000 feet during the flight, and operated for seven hours in the stratosphere at altitudes between 12 and...

LG Chem’s Li-S Battery Powered EAV-3 Sets Altitude Record

Seoul, South Korea based LG Chem, Ltd and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute set an altitude record with their LG Li-S (lithium sulfur) battery powered EAV-3 UAV on August 30th.
The EAV-3 reached an altitude of 22km above sea level, or approximately 72,000 feet during the flight, and operated for seven hours in the stratosphere at altitudes between 12 and 22 kilometers MSL, during its 13 hour total period of operation on a Lithium sulfur battery designed and manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd.
Lightweight Li-S batteries use sulfur-carbon composites as anodes and lithium metals for cathodes. LG Chem’s Li-S batteries are reportedly lighter than existing Lithium-Ion batteries, and claims that there battery packs have energy densities that are 1.5 times that of today’s standard lithium ion batteries. The company did not disclose what baseline energy density they used to generate this figure.
While the UAV altitude record is impressive, the IP of this achievement resides in the high energy density of the batteries themselves, showcasing an asset that LG Chem Ltd. may be able to provide to the aerial mobility industry in the future.
While Lithium-ion batteries exist today that allow for reasonable performance and range of aerial mobility or personal aerial vehicles, even a mere 10% increase in energy density almost directly correlates to 10% increases in endurance and flight time of electrically powered aircraft. A claimed 50% increase over current battery technology would allow for range extensions to validate use cases of aerial mobility aircraft as intercity transports for short range flights, not just aircraft that facilitate the “last mile” or last 10-15 miles of a journey over congested freeways.
Why it’s important: LG Chem Ltd’s Li-S battery technology may become a feasible alternative to commercially available Lithium Ion batteries. However, the super-high energy density battery industry is filled with other competitors working hard to develop their own energy sources that are superior to any currently available power sources, such as Cuberg, which developed a battery that allowed a test case drone to fly for 70% longer by redesigning lithium ion battery infrastructure from the ground up.
NASA Chooses UrbanFootprint for Urban Airspace Mapping Program
UrbanFootprint, a location intelligence and urban planning software company, has been chosen as a key software partner to support NASA’s UAM initiative. Through NASA’s UAM program, “NASA will provide early adopters of UAM technology with a safe, efficient, and flexible system to operate air vehicles for moving passengers and cargo within metropolitan areas.”, according to an UrbanFootprint blog post. UrbanFootprint,...

NASA Chooses UrbanFootprint for Urban Airspace Mapping Program

UrbanFootprint, a location intelligence and urban planning software company, has been chosen as a key software partner to support NASA’s UAM initiative. Through NASA’s UAM program, “NASA will provide early adopters of UAM technology with a safe, efficient, and flexible system to operate air vehicles for moving passengers and cargo within metropolitan areas.”, according to an UrbanFootprint blog post. UrbanFootprint, with its data, analysis, and mapping capabilities, will work with NASA to support in airspace operations and safety by developing an industry-standard 3D Urban Airspace Map and can assist in the siting of critical ‘vertiports’ (air-vehicle takeoff and landing pads) and aerial route planning. UrbanFootprint is part of a team led by The Innovation Laboratory Inc., and is working directly under the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
“Urban Air Mobility has the potential to revolutionize urban transportation. It can play a role in freight and delivery, passenger transportation, and emergency response. Planning and deployment of UAM requires a comprehensive understanding of the groundscape and how air space interacts with the complex nature of urban environments.”
UrbanFootprint’s expertise and capabilities can aid in the siting of critical ‘vertiports’ (air-vehicle takeoff and landing pads) and aerial route planning. “The UrbanFootprint platform will enable NASA and the project team to identify potential sites across the urban landscape, accounting for a myriad of contingencies and requirements, including accessibility, risk and resilience, energy use, and environmental impact.” This is all to help NASA’s ultimate goal of developing a 3D Urban Airspace Map with a network of vertiports and airspace traffic layers, which could integrate with the urban and environmental data and analytical capabilities of the UrbanFootprint platform.
Why it’s important: The development of a proper and safe infrastructure for aerial mobility is critical in ensuring that the industry succeeds in the next few decades. With UrbanFootprint’s aid, the aerial mobility industry can gain an industry-standard 3D Urban Airspace Map, something that would be extremely useful for any company in the industry.
Source // UrbanFootprint blog post (8/27/20)
AI Pilots Surpassing Humans? AlphaDogfight’s Implications for Aerial Mobility
DARPA hosted from August 18th-20th the AlphaDogfight event, pitting AI experienced based learning tactics to play against anonymous instructor combat fighter pilots to assess the feasibility of utilizing machine learning to iterate a “zero experience” pilot into a seasoned combat veteran. AI algorithms were given no prior experience our foundational knowledge with which to “fly” fighter aircraft in a simulation,...

AI Pilots Surpassing Humans? AlphaDogfight’s Implications for Aerial Mobility

DARPA hosted from August 18th-20th the AlphaDogfight event, pitting AI experienced based learning tactics to play against anonymous instructor combat fighter pilots to assess the feasibility of utilizing machine learning to iterate a “zero experience” pilot into a seasoned combat veteran. AI algorithms were given no prior experience our foundational knowledge with which to “fly” fighter aircraft in a simulation, and over the process of millions of iterations of scenarios are able to eventually learn how to control combat aircraft. While the successful implementation of machine learning algorithms to pilot an aircraft have already been proven, the unique considerations required for this scenario involved assigning weight to certain errors that the algorithms would inevitably make, such that future iterations would be more adverse to performing riskier maneuvers than it would to more docile flight paths.
The estimated experience of the winning algorithm produced by Heron Systems equated to ~12 years of human fighter pilot experience, amassed over a much shorter period, thanks to the use of multiple GPU’s. The company stated that their algorithm had been through over 4 billion simulations to acquire that experience. In the final dogfight, the algorithm won five times to the humans’ zero in a nose to nose “guns only” simulation.
While aerial mobility aircraft will never perform evasive maneuvers in dogfights or aggressive aerobatics to gain the upper hand on a foe, the same decision making processes and best guidance that allowed Heron to win the DARPA AlphaDogfight competition would also apply to the algorithms of future aerial mobility flight path control services. For instance, assessing more weight to errors that would jeopardize the safety of more persons, not just those that are flying within an eVTOL, would allow for algorithms to iterate toward flight path and decision making processes that minimize risk and maximize safety. While the dogfight algorithm produced by Heron isn’t necessarily plug and play for aerial mobility, the IP lies within the methods to establish the framework and ground rules from which the algorithm learns.
Why it’s important: Defense contractors have proven AI’s ability to gain similar levels of experience to those of lifetime pilots, and allow for enough decision making by machine learning algorithms along the way to enable more intelligent solutions than just codification of if, then statements for every possible scenario. This more organic approach toward establishing reasonable frameworks for complete autonomous flight path control will be a key enabling technology for the future success of the aerial mobility industry.
Bell Unveils Manufacturing Facility for its Future Vertical Lift Aircraft
Bell Textron Inc. unveiled today its new 140,000-square-foot Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) in Fort Worth, Texas. The MTC is an innovative proving ground where Bell will test and refine technologies and processes—demonstrating manufacturing readiness and ability to successfully build and support Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft. The facility provides capabilities that span all of Bell’s core manufacturing of rotor and drive systems,...

Bell Unveils Manufacturing Facility for its Future Vertical Lift Aircraft

Bell Textron Inc. unveiled today its new 140,000-square-foot Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) in Fort Worth, Texas. The MTC is an innovative proving ground where Bell will test and refine technologies and processes—demonstrating manufacturing readiness and ability to successfully build and support Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft. The facility provides capabilities that span all of Bell’s core manufacturing of rotor and drive systems, critical infrastructure and final assembly.
Since establishing a footprint in North Texas in 1951, Bell’s facilities have been a hub for new technology in aviation. Many milestones, including first flight of the XV-15, V-22, 609 and 407, took place in the DFW metroplex. According to Bell, building FVL aircraft will require the right blend of investment in manufacturing technology and a quality workforce, as well as strong partnerships with the state and community.
“The MTC is the next step in successfully deploying new manufacturing technologies and processes into Bell’s future factories,” said Glenn Isbell, vice president, Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Innovation. “These future factories working together with our teammates and suppliers, will be designed to enable high-quality, high-rate production of the Bell V-280 Valor, Bell 360 Invictus and other future aircraft.”

An artist’s rendering of the potential interior of Bell’s new facility.
Digital connectivity and integration form the backbone of the MTC. The entire facility will be monitored and controlled by its own IT Network; Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and cybersecurity systems that manage the inflow and outflow of materials, as well as the movement of activity throughout the factory. By deploying a networked software infrastructure, the MTC will produce a digital twin of itself that gives managers a common operating picture of the building, the equipment and the processes.
Why it matters: In tandem with its development of Future Vertical Lift aircraft for military applications, Bell has been applying similar technologies to the advancement of urban air mobility vehicles. Notably, the company has already unveiled prototypes of the Bell Nexus passenger eVTOLs as well as the APT cargo eVTOL, which may be developed or produced in facilities like the MCT.

The Bell Nexus, a vertical lift passenger aircraft currently being developed by Bell.
Related:
- Bell Unveils All-Electric Nexus 4EX at CES 2020
- Bell Partners with Sumitomo and Japan Airlines for Future of eVTOL
Source // Bell Flight press release
Hyundai Further Invests in Aerial Mobility Infrastructure, Partners with Urban-Air Port Ltd
Urban-Air Port Ltd and Hyundai Air Mobility (a Hyundai Motor Group division) have announced a collaboration effort to create smart mobility solutions that put people first, connect communities, and generate shared value. Hyundai has recently focused additional resources on enhancing its product line up to help usher in a more sustainable future, while offering innovative solutions to real-world mobility challenges. ...

Hyundai Further Invests in Aerial Mobility Infrastructure, Partners with Urban-Air Port Ltd

Urban-Air Port Ltd and Hyundai Air Mobility (a Hyundai Motor Group division) have announced a collaboration effort to create smart mobility solutions that put people first, connect communities, and generate shared value.
Hyundai has recently focused additional resources on enhancing its product line up to help usher in a more sustainable future, while offering innovative solutions to real-world mobility challenges. Through the process, the multinational automotive manufacturer aims to facilitate ‘Progress for Humanity’ with smart mobility solutions that vitalize connections between people and provide quality time to its customers.
To achieve this, Hyundai has partnered with Urban-Air Port Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of small. (Six Miles Across London Limited). small. consists of a group of UK based Urban DeepTech companies focusing on Future Mobility; Urban.AV (Autonomous Vehicles), Urban.MASS (Mass Transit) and Urban-Air Port. In total, Hyundai plans to invest $1.5B in UAM over the next five years to create an air vehicle and the supporting mobility ecosystem for UAM operations. Whilst vehicle development is crucial and underway, an urgent need for appropriate ground infrastructure remains one of the biggest constraints on the growing sector, according to NASA and industry leaders.
“As part of Hyundai Motor Group, our Air Mobility division is intent on supporting the development of human-centred cities through innovation,” said Dr. Jaiwon Shin, Head of Hyundai Air Mobility.
Hyundai’s and Urban-Air Port’s goals in this partnership are fully aligned – transforming cities for the better by creating a versatile infrastructure that enables future mobility, vitalises urban communities, and expands access to transportation services and the green economy. Pamela Cohn, COO of Hyundai Air Mobility, said “There is often a strong focus on the vehicles, but without coordination and investment in other parts of the ecosystem, UAM is just a flying science project. Infrastructure is one of the crucial areas of the broader ecosystem that will bring aerial mobility to communities around the world. We are excited to partner with Urban-Air Port and UK communities to explore what this infrastructure of the future will look like.”
Ricky Sandhu, CEO of Urban-Air Port said: “We are extremely proud to announce our partnership with Hyundai Air Mobility as we embark on bringing together world-class electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle OEMs, passenger and logistics service operators and our physical & digital infrastructure in our unique, flexible and sustainable turn-key “Air-OneTM” approach that we believe will help unlock and propel a clean, future UAM mobility ecosystem both here in the UK and around the world for multiple sectors.”

Off-shore floating Urban-Air Port® for Air Taxi Services. Credit // Urban-Air Port Ltd.
Hyundai Air Mobility and Urban-Air Port plan to invest in development of a full-scale prototype for live eVTOL demonstrations. Two UK cities have already signed on to support development in 2021, including what will be UK’s 1st, Coventry in the West Midlands, which will host UK City of Culture 2021 and the Commonwealth Games.
Why it’s important: This partnership highlights Hyundai’s ambition for a future mobility ecosystem by adding infrastructure to their existing industry partnerships. The Urban-Air Port® design has a 60% smaller footprint than a traditional heliport or nearest-state-of-the-art ‘vertiports’, allowing for quick and easy installation in space-limited urban sites. Its modular flat-pack structure results in a cost-effective, transportable and rapidly deployable new form of infrastructure that is impressively capable of providing both passenger/cargo processing/amenities and vehicle charging/maintenance facilities.
Source // Urban-Air Port press release
Pipistrel and Green Motion May Change the Future of Electric Aircraft Charging
Electric General Aviation aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel and electric vehicle charging pioneer, Green Motion, are announcing a game changing partnership to develop a “universal, future-proof, environmentally friendly, ‘turnkey'” charging technology for electric airplanes. This new charging infrastructure will be in line with regulations from EASA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. By obtaining of the first ever type certificate for an...

Pipistrel and Green Motion May Change the Future of Electric Aircraft Charging

Electric General Aviation aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel and electric vehicle charging pioneer, Green Motion, are announcing a game changing partnership to develop a “universal, future-proof, environmentally friendly, ‘turnkey'” charging technology for electric airplanes. This new charging infrastructure will be in line with regulations from EASA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
By obtaining of the first ever type certificate for an electric airplane from EASA for its Velis Elctro aircraft, Pipistrel has affirmed that the electric market in Europe and the U.S will grow. With its FLIGHT XT, one of the world’s first electric airplane chargers already in use in two airports in Switzerland, Green Motion has gained extensive knowledge of electric airplane charging.
While Pipistrel is shaping the aviation industry by developing and delivering a cutting-edge electric airplane, Green Motion is simultaneously raising the bar in electric vehicle charging for cars, two-wheelers, trucks, airplanes, and even Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Both companies put user experience and exceptional quality first, in order to foster environmentally friendly and affordable transportation.
Now, the two companies are joining forces to create a “future-proof” electric airplane charging solution that will last and evolve with the latest technologies on the market. Another focus during development of the technology will be turnkey installation combined with a photovoltaic system, as solar technologies also help airports receive subsidies. Charging modules can also be complemented with cutting-edge energy storage to enable fully self-contained systems. Ultimately, Pipistrel and Green Motion envision an entire a network of electric airplane charging stations; leveraging Green Motion’s software expertise and history of success in creating and operating networks for ground-based EV’s.
Ivo Boscarol, Founder and president of Pipistrel commented: “I am dedicating my life to contributing to a cleaner atmosphere and emission-free aviation. Type certifying the first all-electric airplane was the
necessary step towards this goal. As part of the endeavor, Pipistrel was forced to develop and produce almost everything in house, including the chargers. However, to assure a significant change to cleaner atmosphere, widespread use of electric aircraft is a must, and we need to spread the network of chargers to airports all over the world. This cannot be achieved by Pipistrel alone, but with a skilled and distinguished partner as Green Motion, this becomes a reality. I am happy that our SkyCharge stations will grow further with its potential into a common new brand SkyCharge by Green Motion and Pipistrel, to offer electric aircraft users a breakthrough, connected and a turn key service all over the world”.
François Randin, Founder and CEO of Green Motion said, “Green Motion has worked on electric airplane and UAM charging solutions for over two years. We see the beginning of this new market like we did more than 11 years ago with electric cars. After being a pioneer for electric cars, we are now a trail blazer in electric aircrafts charging too. That is why we are so proud and honoured to partner with Pipistrel, a world-renowned aircraft producer which has complementary technology and mindset to ours, so we can define the future of electric planes together.”
Why it’s important: Pipistrel and Green Motion, two companies with revolutionary ideas and cutting-edge electric solutions, are now putting their world class engineering teams together to shape and define the future of electric planes. Together, they hope to deliver the best flight experiences possible through reducing the cost, carbon emissions, and noise pollution of general aviation flight. The eventual goal of these companies is to establish a universal technology network across all airports and vertiports for electric flight, which may lead to a worldwide standard in electric airplane charging in the near future.
Source // Pipistrel press release
Lilium’s Vision for a Scalable Vertiport
Lilium recently shared its vision of a scalable, high-speed regional transportation system for for aerial mobility. Naming the key design concepts as “lean” and “modular”, Lilium could potentially accommodate a variety of locations for a vertiport, whether at an existing transportation terminal, next to a shopping center, or even directly next to a residential area, similarly to a bus stop. Focusing...

Lilium’s Vision for a Scalable Vertiport

Lilium recently shared its vision of a scalable, high-speed regional transportation system for for aerial mobility. Naming the key design concepts as “lean” and “modular”, Lilium could potentially accommodate a variety of locations for a vertiport, whether at an existing transportation terminal, next to a shopping center, or even directly next to a residential area, similarly to a bus stop.
Focusing on simplicity and cost-efficiency, Lilium’s design centers on modules that would implement fundamental components for both regulatory compliance and efficient operations. Lilium designed the modules with three basic parts: a take-off area, vehicle parking, and a terminal. Lilium mentioned that the vertiports would also require high-power charging equipment, air traffic control technology, and digital check-in tools, but that those would be ‘bundled’ into a standardized ‘plug-and-play solution’ for easy scalability.
The takeoff area, sometimes referred to as a FATO (Final Approach and Take-Off) or a TLOF (Touchdown and Lift-OFF area), will be a focal point for operations. With careful considerations for safety and regulatory compliance, a safety zone will be integrated into the takeoff area with inspiration taken from existing heliports.
The parking stand is where the passengers would board and disembark from the aircraft (in this case, the Lilium Jet) as well as where aircraft cleaning, checkups, charging, and transfer of flight data would be conducted for speedy throughput operations. Additionally, the parking stands are properly sized to ensure passenger safety while not taking up excess space.
The terminal, designed with a reduction in waiting and processing kept in mind, according to Lilium, “focuses on delivering a seamless and frictionless experience for our customers.”

An exemplary urban vertiport layout. A- takeoff area, B- parking stands, C- terminal. Photo courtesy of Lilium.
“Vertiports, in their smallest configuration, can be built for as little as €1–2 million. These basic versions of a vertiport are typically ground-based, with small waiting areas and a limited set of gates for charging. Larger, elevated structures require a higher investment of between €7–15 million, depending on their situation and size.” (from a statement from Lilium)
While technical specifications of the modules and overall vertiport configurations have not been revealed, the driving force behind Lilium’s design is clearly simplicity and scalability, which would allow Lilium to expand vertiport infrastructure as fast as possible while considering regulatory compliance, safety, and variable capacity standards.
Read more about Lilium’s innovative design in their blog post here.

The Lilium Jet. Photo courtesy of Lilium.
Why it’s important: Lilium’s vision for a scalable vertiport brings modularity and a distinct level of simplicity to the table. With the latest concept, stakeholders in Lilium get a first look at what ‘standardized’, regulatory compliant, and safe vertiports may look like in the coming years.
Source // Lilium Blog
Cuberg’s Next-Gen Battery Technology May Unlock Electric Aviation
Cuberg, a startup battery company based in Emeryville, California, has verified the performance of its cell-level battery – 369 Watt-hours per kilogram at a discharge rate of C/20. This was verified in testing at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with Cuberg cells demonstrating a specific power of 2,000 Watts per kilogram. Cuberg’s announcement highlighted an exceptional combination of specific energy, specific...

Cuberg’s Next-Gen Battery Technology May Unlock Electric Aviation

Cuberg, a startup battery company based in Emeryville, California, has verified the performance of its cell-level battery – 369 Watt-hours per kilogram at a discharge rate of C/20. This was verified in testing at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with Cuberg cells demonstrating a specific power of 2,000 Watts per kilogram.

C Rate is the charge and discharge rate for a battery. Note the differing duration of a battery’s ability to provide a given amperage. Credit // Sustainable Skies

Electric motors manage to extract 85 to 97 percent of the energy contained in the battery, resulting in a 10:1 ratio of fuel energy density between gas engines and electric motors, respectively.
Cuberg’s announcement highlighted an exceptional combination of specific energy, specific power, and cycle life in an independent testing and verification process conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. The results, including up to 80% increase in specific energy relative to Li-ion cells of comparable high-power output, represent a major step forward in the performance and maturity of battery technology for the future of electric mobility. Online publication Sustainable Skies has analyzed Cuberg’s results in detail, and the provided charts can be found in their full writeup “Cuberg Batteries – Some Real Numbers“.
While the global market for batteries to power electric mobility is expected to reach $300B per year by 20301, increasing power demands are driving Li-ion battery technology to its physical limits on performance and safety. Cuberg’s batteries, based on its breakthrough lithium metal technology, are optimally designed for successful commercialization. The batteries deliver greatly increased range and capacity with competitive cost of ownership under realistic operating conditions. In addition, Cuberg’s batteries use a non-flammable proprietary electrolyte that provides substantial safety advantages over Li-ion batteries.
Critically, Cuberg has achieved these industry-leading results in a pouch cell using technology that capitalizes on the scale and quality of the existing Li-ion manufacturing ecosystem. These strengths will ultimately allow Cuberg to bring next-gen batteries to the automotive market, delivering significant improvements in range and cost while preserving the substantial deployed capital base of Li-ion manufacturing.

Cuberg CEO Richard Wang
“Cuberg’s mission is to deliver next-gen batteries to power the rise of electric mobility, and an essential part of our strategy is to achieve independent verification and transparency of our results,” said Richard Wang, co-founder and CEO of Cuberg. “We are gratified to receive this verification by INL of the industry-leading performance and reliability of our technology, and excited to be working with our customers to begin full-scale flight testing in their aircrafts in the next year.”
Three key battery performance measures need to be optimized in balance for successful aviation commercialization: specific energy, which allows for longer flight times and ranges at a given weight; specific power output, which enables greater aircraft weights and payload capacity; and cycle life, which impacts cost of ownership. INL’s testing on Cuberg’s 5-Ah (amp-hour) battery cells indicated specific energy of 369 Wh/kg, specific power of 2,000 W/kg, and 370 cycles with C/2 charging before the cells reached end of life at an 80% capacity cut-off. Batteries providing in excess of 350 Wh/kg of specific energy represent a critical threshold for the electric aviation market. Cuberg is the first company to successfully combine this level of energy with high power and competitive cycle life under realistic operating conditions. Full testing results can be seen here.
Why it’s important: As emphasized by Liangbing Hu, the Herbert Rabin Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Materials Innovation, Materials Science, and Engineering at the University of Maryland, “the delivery of highly efficient, cost-effective and safe battery technology at scale is essential to enable the future of electric mobility. Passing the 350 Wh/kg threshold under realistic operating conditions is an important advancement and an impressive achievement.” Cuberg’s announcement represents a major milestone in the advancement of battery performance and maturity for the future of electrified aerial mobility.
Related:
- Cuberg’s Battery Produces 70% Increase in Flight Time for Drones
- OXIS Energy to Develop Lightweight Battery Cell for Bye Aerospace eFlyer
Sources // Cuberg Press Release; Sustainable Skies
S. Korea Works with Hyundai to Commercialize Aerial Mobility by 2025
South Korea looks to commercialize the aerial mobility market domestically by 2025, aiming to address the severe traffic congestion issues in urban areas such as Seoul. Working in conjunction with Hyundai Motor Group, the South Korean government intends to begin aerial mobility services in 2025 with two sets of terminals, where personal air vehicles (PAVs) would travel in predetermined routes along...

S. Korea Works with Hyundai to Commercialize Aerial Mobility by 2025

South Korea looks to commercialize the aerial mobility market domestically by 2025, aiming to address the severe traffic congestion issues in urban areas such as Seoul. Working in conjunction with Hyundai Motor Group, the South Korean government intends to begin aerial mobility services in 2025 with two sets of terminals, where personal air vehicles (PAVs) would travel in predetermined routes along major cities. By 2030, the government hopes to expand from 2 to 10 terminals, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
“The ministry will join hands with Hyundai Motor Group and other local companies to push forward the UAM commercialization project,” a ministry official said. It is not yet known which companies the government will be working with aside from Hyundai.
The government expects the aerial mobility market to reach 13 trillion won (approx 11 billion USD) by 2040, as aerial mobility services will work with existing transportation infrastructure in order to greatly ease traffic congestion in major urban areas. For this purpose, the PAVs that will be put in use will feature a range of 30 to 50 km, or 19 to 31 miles. The ministry additionally noted that promotion of such a service would require a “comprehensive industrial ecosystem”, where companies work to cover all phases of an aerial mobility service: production of PAVs, maintenance, repair and overhaul services, and flight control systems and insurance services.
Recently, Hyundai Motor Services revealed their S-A1 personal air vehicle (PAV) concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Featuring an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing design, the S-A1 will hold 5 people including the pilot, and Hyundai will continue to keep an avenue open for potential autonomization in the future.
To learn more about Hyundai’s developments, click here
Why it’s important: As both one of the largest industrial sectors and smallest countries with regards to landmass, the prospect of aerial mobility is a highly lucrative one to the government of South Korea, whose cities such as Seoul holds some of the highest levels of traffic congestion among major cities. The progressive steps taken by the government to work with domestic companies to accelerate development of aerial mobility look to result in a first-rate aerial mobility service, complete with local infrastructure and vehicles.
Source // The Korea Herald
Skyports Funding Reaches $8 million with Investment from Irelandia Aviation
Skyports, the urban air mobility infrastructure provider and drone delivery operator, announced an extension to its Series A funding to now total £6 million ($8 million) with investment from Irelandia Aviation. Skyports aims to build and operate critical infrastructure for urban air mobility and managing end to end drone deliveries. The company is working with the leading electric vertical take-off and landing...

Skyports Funding Reaches $8 million with Investment from Irelandia Aviation

Skyports, the urban air mobility infrastructure provider and drone delivery operator, announced an extension to its Series A funding to now total £6 million ($8 million) with investment from Irelandia Aviation.
Skyports aims to build and operate critical infrastructure for urban air mobility and managing end to end drone deliveries. The company is working with the leading electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger and cargo vehicle manufacturers around the world to secure, design, build, own and operate vertiports enabling safe and efficient flight operations within urban and suburban environments. Ultimately, its vision includes end-to-end cargo drone deliveries within the medical, e-commerce and logistics sectors overcoming inefficiencies associated with traditional transportation methods.
Last December, Skyports announced that they’ve raised £5.35 million in Series A funding. The funding round was jointly led by Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures (DBDV) and Groupe ADP. Levitate Capital also participated in this funding round following their seed investment in the company in January 2018. Just this week, Irelandia Aviation announced that it joins existing Series A investors Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Groupe ADP and Levitate Capital in the investment round.

Following the Singapore showcase of the world’s first passenger vertiport in October, Skyports has received substantial interest from landlords in the city state and other cities around the world.
Skyports intends to use the funds to continue its ambitious programme of site acquisition for passenger and cargo vertiports in cities around the world, including Singapore and Los Angeles. The company will also expand its team to enable the full commercialisation of its urban and rural drone delivery services.
Founder and managing partner of Irelandia Aviation, Declan Ryan, will take a seat on the Skyports board.
Duncan Walker, Chief Executive of Skyports, said: “Irelandia have been pioneers in the aviation industry for many years. Irelandia and the Ryan family have founded five airlines including Ryanair in Europe, Tiger Airways in Asia, Allegiant in the USA and Viva Air in Latin America where Declan is Executive Chairman. It is a privilege to welcome Declan to our board and testament to our ambition that he will be taking this position. Their investment further strengthens our financial position. Skyports investors have a combined balance sheet in excess of €80 billion (£70 billion) putting us in a unique position to build scale in this emerging industry.”
Declan Ryan, Managing Partner of Irelandia Aviation, said: “We are delighted to partner with the team at Skyports who have become leaders in the development of the infrastructure required to enable the UAM industry. We at Irelandia look forward to working with Skyports, aviation regulators, manufacturers and operators to expand in new markets and make UAM and drone services a reality globally. We look forward to furthering Irelandia’s demonstrated track record of democratizing air travel around the world.”
Why it’s important: The investment from Irelandia Aviation, the world’s premier low cost carrier (LCC) developer, is an early indication that aerial mobility is intended to be for the common commuter. Increased accessibility hinges on reasonably low price points for UAM transportation options, so the experience that Irelandia brings will have great value in striving toward this ultimate goal.
Source // Skyports
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