Category: Operators

Toyota-Backed Joby Aviation Raised $590 Million in Series C Funding

15 January 2020 || 4 min read

With ten years of research and development experience, Joby Aviation has become a leader in the development of eVTOL aircraft which combine elements of helicopters and small airplanes, offering benefits that include high reliability, zero emissions, fast flight speeds and quiet operations. The company is developing an aircraft that offers lower operating costs and lower costs of maintenance, while enhancing reliability...

Toyota-Backed Joby Aviation Raised $590 Million in Series C Funding

15 January 2020 || 4 min read

Joby Aviation’s aircraft prototype

Joby Aviation’s aircraft is a piloted, five-seat vehicle capable of both vertical takeoff and landing and highly efficient, wingborne forward flight. It is capable of speeds of 200 miles per hour and can fly over 150 miles on a single charge. The aircraft is 100 times quieter than conventional aircraft during takeoff and landing, and near-silent when flying overhead. The passenger experience is optimized for comfortable ride-sharing operations and efficient entry and exit.

Joby just announced that it has closed its Series C funding round with a total of $590 million in financing. Toyota demonstrated its commitment to providing “Mobility for All” by contributing $394 million of the total. In addition to Toyota’s large investment in Joby, the transforming automotive manufacturer will share its expertise in manufacturing, quality and cost controls for the development and production of Joby Aviation’s breakthrough eVTOL aircraft. Joby’s design is well matched to serve the needs of an emerging air transportation market where commuters and travelers embrace the benefits of aviation on a daily basis within and between urban centers. More details of the prototype aircraft and production plans will be announced at a later date.

Joby Aviation founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt said: “This collaboration with Toyota represents an unprecedented commitment of money and resources for us, and for this new industry, from one of the world’s leading automakers. Toyota is known globally for the quality and reliability of their products driven by meticulous attention to detail and manufacturing processes. I am excited to harness Toyota’s engineering and manufacturing prowess to drive us toward our dream of helping a billion people save an hour+ commuting time every day.”

Credit // Joby Aviation

“Air transportation has been a long-term goal for Toyota, and while we continue our work in the automobile business, this agreement sets our sights to the sky,” said Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda. “As we take up the challenge of air transportation together with Joby, an innovator in the emerging eVTOL space, we tap the potential to revolutionize future transportation and life. Through this new and exciting endeavor, we hope to deliver freedom of movement and enjoyment to customers everywhere, on land, and now, in the sky.”

Why it’s important: The collaboration between Joby and Toyota reflects Toyota’s recognition of the long-term potential of the urban air mobility market to meet the evolving needs of society, as well as Joby’s position as an industry leader in working to deliver safe and affordable air travel to everyone. Both companies believe that leveraging synergies with the automobile technologies as well as integrating best practices from the Toyota Production System will help facilitate the efficient mass production of these aircraft, while also helping Joby deliver high quality, durable and reliable aircraft, and meeting exacting safety standards.

Source // Joby Aviation

New eVTOL Visual Flight Control Hardware To Be Developed by Daedalean and Honeywell

13 January 2020 || 4 min read

New eVTOL Visual Flight Control Hardware To Be Developed by Daedalean and Honeywell

13 January 2020 || 4 min read

Swiss startup Daedalean, a developer of software for autonomous flight control, vision-based navigation, terrain guidance and landing, and Honeywell, a leader in the aerospace industry for avionics hardware, have announced that they have entered into a join technological and financial partnership. This partnerships facilitates cooperation between the two companies as they endeavor to develop fully autonomous AI pilots for general aviation and aerial mobility operations. While AI pilots are the ultimate goal for these two companies, their current hardware solution bridges the gap between fully crewed and complete autonomous flight decks.

The partnership is two-pronged: Honeywell Ventures has joined the Swiss startup’s pool of investors (terms and quantity of investment still unknown) and Honeywell and Daedalean plan to engage in joint testing and technological partnership to develop solutions for autonomous takeoff, landing and GPS-independent navigation and collision avoidance for GA aircraft and aerial mobility aircraft as well.

Luuk van Dijk, founder and CEO of Daedalean, stated that “Developing flight control software requires lots of flight data. That’s why the collaboration with prominent industry partners such as Honeywell is critical for us to speed up the development of our technology. We are preparing for the joint flights testing our solutions for various types of aircraft, and excited to carry out trials on the planes we haven’t tried before.”

This partnership aims to effectively solve the flight controls hurdles that must be overcome in order for the aerial mobility industry to become successful on larger commercial scales than the current charter helicopter industries.

It’s reported that Honeywell’s hardware package is roughly the size of a paperback book.

The Vertical Aerospace Seraph, powered in part by Honeywell’s flight control systems.

Daedalean is a Swiss company that has expertise in robotics, computer vision and machine learning. Daedalean intends on using those innovations to advance the flight control methodology and systems architecture for both general aviation and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The key development and IP of this partnership is a flight control systems’ ability to process visual images, similar to human-like situational awareness, which could theoretically simplify pilot operations greatly and allow pilots to focus on the most mission critical decision and Aeronautical Decision making tasks that are required of professional pilots.

Why it’s important: This collaboration leverages the considerable resources of Honeywell and the technical expertise of a niché company like Daedalean. The approach of hybridizing current crewed operations for flight with the ultimate goal of fully autonomous operations will become increasingly popular in the coming years as the aerospace industry finds a medium between a massive operation leap and smaller steps towards an ultimate goal of redefining the typical methods for manned flight operations.

Source // Inside Unmanned Systems

EmbraerX and Elroy Air Partner on Autonomous eVTOL Delivery Service

12 January 2020 || 3 min read

EmbraerX and Elroy Air have signed a collaboration agreement for the purpose of developing autonomous eVTOL delivery services worldwide. EmbraerX and Elroy Air officially signed an agreement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 8th, 2020. Although neither company disclosed specifics such about time frame, range, or cost, they announced that they are now exchanging information and...

EmbraerX and Elroy Air Partner on Autonomous eVTOL Delivery Service

12 January 2020 || 3 min read

EmbraerX and Elroy Air have signed a collaboration agreement for the purpose of developing autonomous eVTOL delivery services worldwide.

EmbraerX and Elroy Air officially signed an agreement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 8th, 2020. Although neither company disclosed specifics such about time frame, range, or cost, they announced that they are now exchanging information and designs with each other. Together, they hope to produce key results in the near future.

“The objective of this collaboration is to bring Embraer’s 50 years of experience to Elroy Air, and for Elroy Air to bring to Embraer the mindset of a startup,” said Antonio Campello, president and chief executive of Embraer, “We have a vision of the future that urban air mobility, of people or cargo transport, will bring lots of benefit to society and it is also a huge business opportunity.”

Currently, Elroy Air’s VTOL, the Chaparral, can operate using airport infrastructure and can carry 250-500 lbs (114-136kg) of cargo over 300 miles (480km). Elroy is targeting certification in 2022 via the FAA’s 21.17(b) Very Light Airplanes designation. The intended purposes for the aircraft include commercial, humanitarian aid and military missions. The Chaparral possesses a hybrid-electric powertrain with no charging station required, and can autonomously load and unload cargo.

The Elroy Air Chaparral in flight. The Chaparral is large, weighing over 1200lbs.

“Elroy is a good cultural fit for us,” Campello added. “They have a bold vision and are proposing something that also has everything to do with our vision of the future.”

Why it’s important: In addition to VTOL hardware, EmbraerX aims to create a smart air traffic control (ATC) system for the aerial mobility industry. CEO of Embraer Antonio Campello sees Elroy as the perfect partner for this vision. The mutually beneficial partnership will give Elroy Air access to a wide range of Embraer’s resources during aircraft development, while EmbraerX looks to gain new insight for their own “innovation” projects from Elroy’s designs.

Source // Aviation Today

Moog’s Purchase of the Workhorse SureFly Was a Good Deal – For Moog

06 January 2020 || 2 min read

The Aerospace controls design and manufacturer found a good deal in SureFly TransportUP reported in December that Workhorse’s SureFly Octocopter was planned to be purchased by Moog, Inc, a Torrance, CA based aerospace controls manufacturer. Following the sale and Workhorse’s filing of a 8-K/A report with the SEC that disclosed the price paid by Moog for SureFly, the story has...

Moog’s Purchase of the Workhorse SureFly Was a Good Deal – For Moog

06 January 2020 || 2 min read

The Aerospace controls design and manufacturer found a good deal in SureFly

TransportUP reported in December that Workhorse’s SureFly Octocopter was planned to be purchased by Moog, Inc, a Torrance, CA based aerospace controls manufacturer.

Following the sale and Workhorse’s filing of a 8-K/A report with the SEC that disclosed the price paid by Moog for SureFly, the story has changed somewhat. Approximately $4 million was paid for the sale of SureFly, seemingly a good deal for Moog, Inc. Original estimates for the sale were pegged to $30-million plus, but other compensation or agreements that might not be public information may have aided Moog in closing their deal at such an attractive price.

The other portion of the deal is HorseFly – a last-mile delivery UAS that Workhorse has split 50/50 with Moog. HorseFly’s IP may be valuable enough to Moog (considering the outward facing publicity of said hardware focused on the hardware itself, not the drone) that the smaller sum paid for SureFly was more palatable a transaction for Workhorse after all.

In many instances, the intellectual property and systems integration of last-mile delivery services are commonly cited as the value-add tech in these scenarios – the physical drone could easily be replaced for less than $1,000 with an off-the-shelf model (albeit some modifications required).

Why it’s important: Investors initially reacted very energetically to the deal between Workhorse and Moog – the $30MM valuation of Workhorse’ SureFly technology was large enough to turn many heads, especially in an industry such as aerial mobility, where funding is not as readily attainable as other industries with lower capital requirements and start up costs.

U.S. Air Force Initiative Looks to Benefit Commercial Aerial Mobility

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

The U.S. Air Force looks to launch a new initiative to help with the certification process for commercial air taxi services The USAF’s initiative will be based around an unmanned aerial vehicle to be used for military missions in a 100-mile radius. The military looks to lend its experience and technical knowledge on aerial flight to any number of companies...

U.S. Air Force Initiative Looks to Benefit Commercial Aerial Mobility

04 January 2020 || 4 min read

The U.S. Air Force looks to launch a new initiative to help with the certification process for commercial air taxi services

The USAF’s initiative will be based around an unmanned aerial vehicle to be used for military missions in a 100-mile radius. The military looks to lend its experience and technical knowledge on aerial flight to any number of companies that are looking to enter the aerial mobility industry; particularly with a focus in high-tech safety and security.

The U.S. Air Force’s new urban air mobility initiative is focused on enhancing its military operations as well as the development of urban mobility initiatives. (Photo: U.S. Air Mobility)

One of the ideas in consideration is a research challenge towards helping companies go through the process of certification with the Federal Aviation Administration, a certification process that is relatively new and still under refinement. The challenge would be modeled after the DARPA Challenge; inviting companies to participate in the USAF’s military installations to work on aircraft systems in applications for military purposes, which would additionally provide the benefit of helping companies get an early start in the certification process for their own aircraft.

At the Air Force Research Lab on Wright-Patterson AFB, the service is preparing to evaluate commercial air taxi vehicles for military use. (Brian Garrett-Glaser)

According to Will Roper, assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, as quoted for Aviation Today:

We should be out influencing the direction of a mainly commercial market in a way that helps the military, but also helps accelerate that market. That’s how we’ll win the [innovation] competition.

The ultimate goal, according to a military spokesperson for the Air Force, is for the USAF to help accelerate the development of aerial mobility in an efficient and safe manner while improving the military’s own flight technology. One of the core components of the initiative will involve an unmanned aerial vehicle that will need to transport up to four military personnel up to 100 miles for a variety of missions, ranging from search and rescue to special operations.

Why it’s important: The active involvement of the USAF in the operations of commercial air taxi companies indicates an active interest of the US government in promoting the development of aerial mobility technology. This initiative could rapidly accelerate the certification process for several companies, a greatly desirable partnership for companies in active competition in a new budding market.

Source // RIDE

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

Joby Aviation, Uber Air Partner to Launch Air Taxi Service by 2023

22 December 2019 || 4 min read

Joby is the first company to commit to Uber’s 2023 launch of its air taxi service. Rideshare group Uber and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Joby Aviation have announced a partnership to launch urban air-taxi services in selected locations from 2023. California-based Joby Aviation has become the first of seven partner companies in Uber’s Elevate urban air...

Joby Aviation, Uber Air Partner to Launch Air Taxi Service by 2023

22 December 2019 || 4 min read

Joby is the first company to commit to Uber’s 2023 launch of its air taxi service.

Rideshare group Uber and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Joby Aviation have announced a partnership to launch urban air-taxi services in selected locations from 2023. California-based Joby Aviation has become the first of seven partner companies in Uber’s Elevate urban air mobility initiative to commit to a timetable for launching operations. The other companies are Bell, Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, Embraer, Pipistrel, Karem Aircraft, and Jaunt Air Mobility. Uber has named Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne as prospective launch cities, but the logistics of deploying its air taxi fleet remain underdeveloped.

Image result for joby aviation the verge

A mockup of Joby Aviation’s S4 eVTOL aircraft prototype.

Joby is developing a four-seat eVTOL aircraft called the S4 and appears to have plans for a larger S5 model. The covert aircraft development team has mentioned a complete full-scale prototype of the S4, but otherwise has kept plans for certification and manufacturing expansion under wraps. The few publicized renderings show a plane-drone hybrid with 12 rotors and room in the cabin for four passengers, though a spokesperson previously cautioned that what Joby is working on now is “entirely new.” The company has yet to provide any recent photographs or images of its prototype aircraft; however, all public information about Joby’s developments are can be found in the TransportUP Hangar.

Joby is the brainchild of inventor JoeBen Bevirt, who started the company in 2009. The company operated in relative obscurity until 2018, when Joby announced it had raised a surprising $100 million from a variety of investors, including the venture capital arms of Intel, Toyota, and JetBlue. The money helped finance development of the company’s air taxi prototype, which has been conducting test flights at Joby’s private airfield in Northern California.

JoeBen Bevirt had the following to say about the partnership:

We’re excited to partner with Uber. By bringing our next-generation aircraft and urban flight operations to Uber’s on-demand ground mobility network, we aim to get people to their destinations five-times faster than driving, reduce urban congestion and accelerate the shift to sustainable modes of transit.

Photo // Joby Aviation

Why it’s important: While Uber has performed considerable research and development on its own eVTOL prototype for the future air taxi service, it will ultimately rely on the consistent manufacturing technologies of a specialized airframer to provide and maintain vehicles. The demands of operating a transportation service are far greater than would allow for a single company to simultaneously develop its own aviation technologies. Therefore, Joby Aviation is slated to fill this important role, and has committed to support the aggressive timetable of a 2023 launch.

Source // AINOnline; The Verge

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

Hanwha Systems Gains Approval for $25 Million Investment in Overair

17 December 2019 || 4 min read

Hanwha Systems will officially enter the urban aerial mobility market as of Dec. 8th, as the CFIUS has approved Hanwha’s $25 million USD investment in Overair Hanwha earlier announced their intentions to invest a 30% stake in Overair, formerly known as K4 Aeronautics. Recently, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) approved the $25 million USD investment...

Hanwha Systems Gains Approval for $25 Million Investment in Overair

17 December 2019 || 4 min read

Hanwha Systems will officially enter the urban aerial mobility market as of Dec. 8th, as the CFIUS has approved Hanwha’s $25 million USD investment in Overair

Hanwha earlier announced their intentions to invest a 30% stake in Overair, formerly known as K4 Aeronautics. Recently, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) approved the $25 million USD investment into the promising air taxi company. With the approval secured, Overair, now overseen by Hanwha Systems, will go ahead with the development of its passenger eVTOL, the Butterfly.

Hanwha System’s investment is centered around the development of the Butterfly

The Butterfly is an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) optimized for urban aerial mobility services. The aircraft was conceptualized with noise reduction and efficiency in mind; the Butterfly is currently able to fly 100 kilometers at 240 km/hr (60 miles at 150 mph) or faster with five people — four passengers and one pilot — on board.

Overair and Hanwha intend to develop the Butterfly for civilian transportation systems with the aim of receiving a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. Hanwha Systems is also looking to expand its investment in Overair with the intention of spreading into the South Korean personal air vehicle (PAV) sector, which is gaining traction with the Korean Ministries of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Trade, Industry, and Energy.

Earlier this year, Hanwha Systems announced their intentions to invest in Overair, then known as K4 Aeronautics.

Overair was spun off from the eVTOL technology company Karem Aircraft and is one of the named partners of the Uber Elevate air taxi project. Abe Karem, an aviation expert with experience in designing 14 flying machines was founder of Karem Aircraft and is now co-founder and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Overair.

Why it’s important: With the approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment, one of the largest technology conglomerates in the East Asian region has taken the first step to entering the urban aerial mobility sector. With a strong initial investment in Overair, a partner to Uber Elevate, Hanwha Systems looks to corner the air taxi and PAV market internationally and domestically, and now is making their presence known in the rapidly growing new industry.

Source // Business Korea

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

German Drone Startup Wingcopter Receives Seven-Digit Investment from Singapore

16 December 2019 || 5 min read

Wingcopter builds drones for humanitarian, parcel delivery, and logistics applications German drone start-up Wingcopter announced last Friday that they’ve secured seven-digit financing. The investment as gained from Singapore-based Corecam Capital Partners. Wingcopter develops and produces autonomously flying delivery drones for social and civilian applications that align with the companies’ overall principle: “Technology with a Purpose”. Wingcopter features a patented tilt-rotor...

German Drone Startup Wingcopter Receives Seven-Digit Investment from Singapore

16 December 2019 || 5 min read

Wingcopter builds drones for humanitarian, parcel delivery, and logistics applications

German drone start-up Wingcopter announced last Friday that they’ve secured seven-digit financing. The investment as gained from Singapore-based Corecam Capital Partners. Wingcopter develops and produces autonomously flying delivery drones for social and civilian applications that align with the companies’ overall principle: “Technology with a Purpose”. Wingcopter features a patented tilt-rotor mechanism that intends to blend the advantages of commercial drones, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, to increase overall efficiency.

Wingcopter is led by founders Tom Plümmer (CEO), Jonathan Hesselbarth (CTO) and Ansgar Kadura (COO), who intend to bring grow their 35 person team, speed up the development of the next Wingcopter generation, and expand the global maintenance and sales network available for their technologies. Wingcopter currently serves various clients in 10 countries.

Martin Lechner, Managing Partner of Corecam Capital Partners, commented on the investment:

The investment in Wingcopter is the ideal addition to our existing portfolio in the fast-growing drone technology market. Their unique tilt-rotor mechanism as well as the strong global patent protection and the interest of blue-chip customers were decisive for us”

Wingcopter cites the fusion of multiple drone types, in that Wingcopter drones can take off and land vertically in the smallest of spaces while tiltrotors enable accelerated forward flight. This smooth transition enables ranges of up to 75 miles/120 kilometers in one flight and a Guinness world record speed of 150 miles/240 kilometers per hour. Even in strong winds of up to 55 mph/90 km/h or bad weather condition, Wingcopter was able to complete test flights with acceptable results. The long-range drone is targeted for use in life-saving deliveries of medical products such as medicines, vaccines, blood or lab samples as well as for the delivery of parcels or food.

Wingcopter CEO Tom Plümmer commented on the financing round:

We are pleased to have won Corecam as a renowned investor with extensive experience in the drones sector. The financing will help to significantly speed up our growth, meet the already high domestic and international demand and focus on the most promising markets with regards to global expansion. Our vision is to sustainably improve the lives of people around the world with our technology.

Wingcopter has carried out various projects in which medical supplies were delivered over long distances to remote regions, including a six-month pilot project with DHL and the German development agency giz in Tanzania and a project on the South Sea island of Vanuatu, where Wingcopter, on behalf of the local Ministry of Health and supported by UNICEF, successfully tested the supply of vaccines for children over several months. In both tests, the Wingcopter reduced the patients’ waiting time from several hours or days to a few minutes.

In Ireland, Wingcopter partnered with Vodafone and local customer SIS to deliver insulin beyond visual line of sight for the first time in Europe and over a distance of 14 miles/21 kilometers during harsh wind conditions. Further successful projects have been carried out in Japan, England, Malawi, Ethiopia, Norway, Canada and the Arctic, where the drone’s performance has been demonstrated under extreme conditions (- 44 °F/- 42 °C).

Wingcopter is currently planning to test a new delivery application in the USA together with a tier-one partner, and is in talks with select investors for their next round of financing.

Why it’s important: Wingcopter’s announcement of a significant fundraising round is grounds for highlighting the companies’ recent successes in creating a feasible multi/tilt-rotor configured eVTOL drone. While the current physical scale of Wingcopter’s drones do not support transportation of heavier payloads (commercial passenger operations) further maturation of the technology could ultimately result in products that allow for transport of greater quantities and volumes of goods, with eventual application to passenger transport. Furthermore, the demonstration of value of Wingcopter’s technology to those in remote communities that greatly benefit from the services provided by these drones is crucial to reinforcement of the societal benefits that eVTOL technology brings to disruptive transportation.

Urban Air Mobility at Amsterdam Drone Week 2019

08 December 2019 || 5 min read

Amsterdam Drone Week opened this week, and urban air mobility took center stage. The second annual Amsterdam Drone Week (ADW) took place on December 4th-6th this week, and provided a global venue for exchanging knowledge and expertise on current as well as future air mobility solutions, innovations, and essential regulations. RAI Amsterdam served as the focal point for top-level players, large...

Urban Air Mobility at Amsterdam Drone Week 2019

08 December 2019 || 5 min read

Amsterdam Drone Week opened this week, and urban air mobility took center stage.

The second annual Amsterdam Drone Week (ADW) took place on December 4th-6th this week, and provided a global venue for exchanging knowledge and expertise on current as well as future air mobility solutions, innovations, and essential regulations. RAI Amsterdam served as the focal point for top-level players, large and small, commercial and non-commercial, from various industries, knowledge institutes and authorized bodies to come together to create, innovate, and collaborate.

Philip Butterworth Hayes, the editor of Urban Air Mobility News, appropriately kicked things off: creating a vision not only of a world where drones provide an integral part of urban transportation systems – but where humans and robots establish a working relationship. “What do we want to achieve this week?” asked Hayes. “We need to achieve a closer understanding of the drone market and its potential, both in the short and long term.” If that isn’t enough of a challenge, Hayes says that Urban Air Mobility is nothing short of a revolution. UAM represents a complete change in thinking for cities. “We’re creating a new transportation ecosystem,” says Hayes. “The last time we did that was in 1945, when we started the commercial aviation industry.”

To discuss and brainstorm ideas for the new transportation ecosystem, Hayes moderated a roundtable discussion on “Reinventing Mobility” featuring key industry experts and innovators. The speakers included CMO Europe at EHang Andreas Perroti, Founder of AirMap Ben Marcus, Innovation and Deployment Director at ERTICO Dr. Johanna Tzanidaki, and Director New Business Ventures at Boeing Next John Damush. Boeing also hosted a handful of presentations on the Future of Airspace Management as well as Mobility & Sustainable Aviation.

In another address at ADW, Dr. Johanna Tzanidaki explained the “Internet of Mobility” and what that means for the future of drone transportation. ERTICO is focused on Intelligent Transport Systems, or ITS. ERTICO’s vision for mobility is a shared, digital, multi-modal and on-demand network. In practical terms, that means logging on to one system and determining the best and most convenient way to get from point A to point B: combining modes like bikes, cars, and drones as appropriate. Companies like BLADE are already providing services that combine multiple modes of transportation, and technology like that of ERTICO could be a solution that leads to further optimization.

ADW was also an opportunity for Avy to reveal its new long-endurance VTOL drone designed for lifesaving beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) missions. The vehicle, named Aera, features modular payload capabilities, integrated avionics, and redundant communications, and will be used, amongst other things, in the Medical Drone Service pilot project, launched earlier this week. The Medical Drone Service will investigate safe and reliable transport of blood products and medicines between blood banks and hospitals over the next three years. During the exhibition, Avy performed live flight demonstrations in the drone arena on each day, and displayed the Aera in the showcase area. Founder Mr Patrique Zaman also hosted a humble talk on his success thus far with Avy and the future of Urban Air Mobility.

Why it’s important: Amsterdam Drone Week is seeing growing success in its ability to rally key industry leaders, regulators, and manufacturers together for the purpose of expediting a new transportation ecosystem safely and efficiently. It’s the continual efforts of conferences and gatherings like ADW that will ultimately shape the aerial mobility industry and aid in garnering the public’s acceptance.

Sources // dronelife; Amsterdam Drone Week

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

Workhorse Finalizes Sale of SureFly to Moog Inc.

08 December 2019 || 4 min read

The Workhorse Group have officially let go of their Surefly and Horsefly to Moog Inc Workhorse Group, a US manufacturing company dedicated to manufacturing electrically powered delivery and utility vehicles, have sold the assets for their trademarked SureFly eVTOL to Moog Inc as well as all related hybrid electric power system technologies. The two transactions, for the SureFly and HorseFly, were...

Workhorse Finalizes Sale of SureFly to Moog Inc.

08 December 2019 || 4 min read

The Workhorse Group have officially let go of their Surefly and Horsefly to Moog Inc

Workhorse Group, a US manufacturing company dedicated to manufacturing electrically powered delivery and utility vehicles, have sold the assets for their trademarked SureFly eVTOL to Moog Inc as well as all related hybrid electric power system technologies. The two transactions, for the SureFly and HorseFly, were finalized on October 1, 2019, with the closings taking place on November 27, 2019. According to Workhorse CEO Duane Hughes:

Building strong relationships through partnerships and transactions with world-class operators like Moog has always been a key area of focus for our company. In selling SureFly, we have been able to monetize a secondary asset, which will provide us with additional working capital for our core business, which is the manufacturing of electric last-mile delivery vehicles.

Moog Inc. acquired the SureFly eVTOL in one of their transactions with Workhorse Group.

In a second separate transaction, the company also entered a joint venture with Moog Inc concerning Workhorse’s HorseFly “last mile delivery” Aerial System. Under the new agreement, Workhorse and Moog will each own 50% of the equity interests in the newly formed joint venture. Workhorse will contribute assets and material related to the HorseFly, while Moog will contribute complementary assets, intellectual property (IP) and other related technology. According to Workhorse, the purpose of the new joint venture is for the purpose of sharing and advancing technology and intellectual properties related to the development of unmanned aerial systems, or UAS.

The HorseFly drone delivery system.

On the new joint venture, Hughes said:

Through our HorseFly [Joint Venture], we’re looking forward to taking another existing Workhorse technology and leveraging the experience and resources of an established enterprise to tackle new markets and create outcomes there are greater than just the sum of the parts.

For additional details regarding the transactions, please reference the Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 4, 2019.

Why it’s important: With Workhorse Group having monetized their assets in the SureFly and HorseFly, Moog Inc. will now have a chance to see if the SureFly and HorseFly will hold any promise in the aviation industry. Workhorse previously predicted that future applications of the SureFly could be in “precision agriculture, urban commutes, emergency response, military, and more.” Moog Inc. will now have the chance to incorporate the SureFly into these potential fields, while the Cleveland-based company will return to the design and manufacturing sector rather than the aviation sector.

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

Kitty Hawk Corp Rebrands as Wisk

03 December 2019 || 3 min read

Kitty Hawk recently rebranded as Wisk.Aero in a move many news outlets are stating is resultant of turmoil within the company. Regardless, the firms’ planned rollout of aerial mobility solutions in New Zealand is touted on the new wisk.aero website – along with the advantages of New Zealand as a location for piloting urban mobility solutions. Wisk touts the more...

Kitty Hawk Corp Rebrands as Wisk

03 December 2019 || 3 min read

Wisk is the result of a rebranding of Kitty Hawk Corporation, 6 months after the company announced a partnership with Boeing.

Wisk touts the more than 1,000 flights that Cora has completed to date, and is the result of the recent partnership announced between Boeing HorizonX (the venture arm of Boeing) and Kitty Hawk Corporation. Wisk’s CEO, Gary Gysin, is among board members that also include Steve Nordlund, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing NeXT, along with Logan Jones, VP of Boeing HorizonX. The mission of Wisk, according to the website, is unchanged from that of Kitty Hawk – less the rebrand.

Additionally, the organization features New Zealand local representatives as well – Anna Kominik serves as the New Zealand country director for the company, helping to advance local policy and establish New Zealand as a global contender among future mobility projects.

However, no timelines are presented for when Cora may operate on its first commercially-serviced route in New Zealand, as the company has publicly announced that no flights with paying customers would occur “until the time is right”. The company says that New Zealand has a “safety-focused regulatory environment” and “a strong history of excellence in airspace management”.

Boeing’s partnership with KittyHawk Corporation may also play well with recent advances made by the company related to the SkyGrid systems – a partnership between Boeing and sparkcognition, the world’s leader in AI. SkyGrid is establishing UTM solutions (low altitude airspace management) that’ll allow for drones and eVTOLs to interact with one another autonomously and deconflict an increased quantity of air traffic. That same UTM technology, when integrated with Wisk’s operating plan in New Zealand, would serve as the basis for a small, commercial eVTOL operation.

Why it’s important: The formal rebranding of Kitty Hawk as Wisk comes almost six months after the June announcement of a partnership between Boeing and the eVTOL maker. Since that announcement, numerous challenges have faced both companies, but the quantity and quality of resource pools and financial support from each will most likely contribute to persistent progress toward officially developing and deploying the systems that are being tested today.

NASA + Uber Aerial Mobility Testing Continues

01 December 2019 || 4 min read

Uber and NASA are collaborating to simulate the future of eVTOL ridesharing services. According to NASA, the end goal of the collaboration with Uber is a safe and efficient air transportation system where everything from small package-delivery drones to passenger-carrying air taxis operate over populated areas – from small towns to the largest cities. Researchers at NASA’s Ames and Langley...

NASA + Uber Aerial Mobility Testing Continues

01 December 2019 || 4 min read

Uber and NASA are collaborating to simulate the future of eVTOL ridesharing services.

According to NASA, the end goal of the collaboration with Uber is a safe and efficient air transportation system where everything from small package-delivery drones to passenger-carrying air taxis operate over populated areas – from small towns to the largest cities.

Credit // NASA

Researchers at NASA’s Ames and Langley Research Centers are developing technologies for UAM airspace management to make large-scale operations possible. Researchers at Ames have already studied, designed and tested technologies that could soon be used for drone airspace management, even in complex urban landscapes.

In this partnership, Uber is sharing its plans for implementing an aerial mobility eVTOL rideshare network. NASA meanwhile, as America’s aeronautics research agency, is using the latest in airspace management computer modeling and data collection to assess the impacts of small aircraft in crowded environments, and begin designing management systems.

A series of collaborative meetings between NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Air Traffic and NextGen organizations, and Uber, are currently ongoing at NASA Ames Research Center. The focus of these meetings is to discuss near- and mid-term UAM procedures and identify top priorities in development and regulation. In fact, the Air Traffic Management Exploration (ATM-X) project’s Increasing Diverse Operations (IDO) subproject recently led a discussion on long term research needs for new entrants into the National Airspace System (NAS).

Savita Verma demonstrates X2 to FAA and Uber visitors in the UAM lab.

Demonstration of X2 to FAA and Uber visitors. Credit // NASA

An engineering evaluation called “X2” saw the NASA Air Traffic Management Exploration (ATM-X) Urban Air Mobility (UAM) team collaborate with Uber Elevate to run a complete simulation of eVTOL flights over Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. The NASA team demonstrated the X2 simulation’s use cases such as a live connection to Uber’s simulation facilities and virtual flights. The series of 40-minute test scenarios was reported to be a success, and further simulations are already being planned..

Why it’s important: Simulating eVTOL air traffic over Dallas is a key part of beginning Uber’s aerial ridesharing services planned to begin as early as 2023. Through sophisticated simulations, Uber and NASA will allow involved parties to understand and successfully plan the management of airspace. Uber plans to conduct demonstration flights in Dallas in 2020.

Source // NASA, Uber

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

Beta Technologies Selects GPMS for Condition Monitoring System

24 November 2019 || 4 min read

GPMS developed a Health & Usage Monitoring System to serve emerging eVTOL applications. Vermont-based Beta Technologies is currently developing the second iteration of its eVTOL prototype at their facility in South Burlington. The new prototype will build upon many of the design features seen in the company’s first iteration, the Ava, and we can likely expect a redesigned structure to...

Beta Technologies Selects GPMS for Condition Monitoring System

24 November 2019 || 4 min read

GPMS developed a Health & Usage Monitoring System to serve emerging eVTOL applications.

Vermont-based Beta Technologies is currently developing the second iteration of its eVTOL prototype at their facility in South Burlington. The new prototype will build upon many of the design features seen in the company’s first iteration, the Ava, and we can likely expect a redesigned structure to more closely fit the requirements of various aerial mobility applications. One technology that will certainly be seen in Beta’s next prototype is Foresight, a Next Generation Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) designed specifically for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

GPMS Foresight MX Foresight is the flagship product of Vermont-based GPMS, and combines advanced sensors and cloud-based software to provide remote monitoring and predictive maintenance capability. The software is designed to give rotorcraft operators the power to “know it before it matters.” Installation of Foresight MX on the Beta platform will enable Beta to reduce operational costs through advanced notification of impending maintenance requirements while adhering to budget, space and weight constraints of operators. Additionally, Beta engineers will be able to remotely monitor their rotorcraft, accessing data and analytics for advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance.

The GPMS Foresight MX system provides mechanical diagnostics and prognostics including engine performance monitoring, exceedance monitoring, flight regime recognition, automated data acquisition, and optimization solutions for rotor, track and balance. The Foresight MX computer weighs a fraction of legacy system, provides automatic alerting through email and SMS, and has a user interface accessible through web browser on a laptop, desktop, tablet or cell phone. Beta engineers will be able to monitor their rotorcraft directly, accessing data and analytics for advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance. “eVTOLs share with traditional helicopters the need to understand and continuously evaluate the health and condition of key mechanical systems,” said GPMS CEO and Chief Engineer, Eric Bechhoefer in a press release. “We are excited to enter this market with Beta.”

Why it’s important: GPMS has the technical acumen to provide a condition monitoring system adaptable to a vehicle’s needs at a reasonable price point. As Beta iterates upon its already proven prototype, the new partnership with GPMS could be an immensely valuable launchpad for GPMS to demonstrate its technology. Eventually, Foresight may be integrated with the onboard systems of many other aerial mobility vehicles.

Source // GPMS press release

Subscribe to TUP

Listen to the TUP Podcast

CoMotion LA Recap: Sikorsky to Advance Aerial Mobility Vision

20 November 2019 || 4 min read

“CoMotion LA 2019: Where Innovation, Policy and Business come together to design the future of urban mobility” The CoMotion LA Leadership Conference brought together global leaders of the mobility revolution last week on November 14-15, 2019. Reserved for policymakers and industry players from around the world, the event featured curated discussions about how urban mobility is set to transform where...

CoMotion LA Recap: Sikorsky to Advance Aerial Mobility Vision

20 November 2019 || 4 min read

“CoMotion LA 2019: Where Innovation, Policy and Business come together to design the future of urban mobility”

Photo // CoMotion LA

The CoMotion LA Leadership Conference brought together global leaders of the mobility revolution last week on November 14-15, 2019. Reserved for policymakers and industry players from around the world, the event featured curated discussions about how urban mobility is set to transform where and how we live, work, and play — and walk, bike and ride. A portion of the discussions on technology and policy focused specifically on aerial mobility, and highlighted its potential as well as the companies that are leading the charge.

Key metrics highlighting the reach of CoMotion LA’s November 2019 conference. Credit // CoMotion LA

Over the two days of the conference, participants had exclusive admission to the CoMotion LA Leadership conference, exhibits, demos and receptions – all in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. The technology on display ranged from electric scooters to autonomous urban shuttles, and showcased the most advance technologies that are soon to comprise the urban mobility infrastructure in major cities around the world.

Sikorsky s-76 lifts off from an urban helipad. Photo // Sikorsky

One demonstration in LA last week featured an integrated, app-based approach to fulfill a new vision for urban air mobility (UAM). Sikorsky announced that it is working on the tech alongside Otis Elevator Company and the helicopter operator Helinet Aviation. Ultimately, the app will enable users to download a version of Otis Elevator’s eCall smartphone app, which will present them with a choice of destinations and relevant flight times.

The functionality was showcased at the conference where, after participants made their selection on the app, it guided them to an elevator and up to the rooftop of a parking garage. Users were even directed to a specific elevator by the app so as to avoid congestion, and upon reaching the top of the building, they were welcomed to a future heliport concept, designed by Helinet. The demonstration concluded with flyovers by a Sikorsky S-76D, which serves as today’s placeholder for a VTOL aircraft until quieter vehicles become commercially operable.

Why it’s important: CoMotion is a recurring international conference serving as a global laboratory and collaborative space for the future of urban mobility. It will continue to bring together many of the key influencers and doers that will contribute to the seamless integration in to major cities. Meanwhile, Sikorsky, as well as partners Otis and Helinet, are focused on adapting to existing infrastructure. As they make strides and hone in on aspects such as safety and affordability, aerial mobility will incrementally reach a point of being more widely accepted and normalized by society.

Source // CoMotion LA

EHang Prepares For $100 Million IPO on Nasdaq

08 November 2019 || 3 min read

The company prepares for their predicted $100 million Initial Public Offering eVTOL manufacturer EHang recently filed an SEC F1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in preparation for their predicted $100 million initial public offering (IPO) on Nasdaq. This indicates EHang’s intention to offer Class A ordinary shares before the end of 2019, and will be listed under...

EHang Prepares For $100 Million IPO on Nasdaq

08 November 2019 || 3 min read

The company prepares for their predicted $100 million Initial Public Offering

eVTOL manufacturer EHang recently filed an SEC F1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in preparation for their predicted $100 million initial public offering (IPO) on Nasdaq. This indicates EHang’s intention to offer Class A ordinary shares before the end of 2019, and will be listed under Nasdaq symbol “EH”. This IPO would make EHang the first of many eVTOL startups to go public.

In the filing, EHang indicated that their main focus for now would be on the Chinese market. With the state of US and European aviation regulatory frameworks still in uncertainty in regards to eVTOLs, the preference for their domestic market is not unsurprising. According to the F1 filing, EHang have delivered 38 AAVs since March 2018 to various partners and prospective distributors, including freight group DHL-Sinotrans, and “unfulfilled orders” for 28 more aircraft.

During the first six months of 2019, EHang reported a net loss of $5.5 million, which was 42% higher than the loss it incurred in the same period for 2018. Revenue for the first six months of 2019 were also down by 15.6% at $4.7 million. During 2017, EHang subsidiaries in Germany and the U.S. filed for bankruptcy and these cases are still being resolved. The company indicated that these companies traded as sales organizations for consumer drones before it decided to withdraw from the market in those countries.

Why it’s important: EHang has a diverse product portfolio and demonstrated reliability and consistency in their products and deliveries. The funds provided by the IPO could help EHang with an increased focus in a smaller market, and allow it to expand naturally in the coming years.

Source // AIN Online

Share this:

Share this:

EmbraerX and Elroy Air have signed a collaboration agreement for the purpose of developing autonomous eVTOL delivery services worldwide.

Share this:

The Aerospace controls design and manufacturer found a good deal in SureFly

Share this:

The U.S. Air Force looks to launch a new initiative to help with the certification process for commercial air taxi services

Share this:

Joby is the first company to commit to Uber’s 2023 launch of its air taxi service.

Share this:

Hanwha Systems will officially enter the urban aerial mobility market as of Dec. 8th, as the CFIUS has approved Hanwha’s $25 million USD investment in Overair

Share this:

Wingcopter builds drones for humanitarian, parcel delivery, and logistics applications

Share this:

Amsterdam Drone Week opened this week, and urban air mobility took center stage.

Share this:

The Workhorse Group have officially let go of their Surefly and Horsefly to Moog Inc

Share this:

Share this:

Uber and NASA are collaborating to simulate the future of eVTOL ridesharing services.

Share this:

GPMS developed a Health & Usage Monitoring System to serve emerging eVTOL applications.

Share this:

“CoMotion LA 2019: Where Innovation, Policy and Business come together to design the future of urban mobility”

Share this:

The company prepares for their predicted $100 million Initial Public Offering

Share this: