CycloTech’s Air Taxi Concept

Austrian company CycloTech is using a specialized ‘Cyclogyro’ rotor to build a new kind of aerial mobility vehicle. The company believes this unique propulsion system will give them a competitive edge in the growing world of aerial mobility.

Currently, the company’s main focus is building 80kg de-scaled flight demonstrator prototype, which it plans to have complete by the end of 2020. Anticipated applications for the aircraft include passenger transportation, search and rescue, aerial inspection and more.

A CAD drawing of CycloTech’s 4-person air taxi concept.

According to CycloTech, its unique value proposition is the Cyclogyro rotor. This unique rotor consists of multiple blades set around centrally-mounted hub, which can rotate to any 360-degree direction. Changing the position of this hub controls the direction of thrust, which can then be set in any 360-degree direction. This makes all kinds of flight possible without a traditional fixed-rotor setup, as seen in other kinds of aerial mobility aircraft. Changes in thrust positioning can be made instantly, and each rotor set can be individually controlled. CycloTech plans to both create and  air taxi with this technology, and to sell the propulsion system to other aircraft makers.

The CycloRotor technology concept explanation by CycloTech.

So far, CycloTech has spent the last three years developing and testing nine different rotor prototypes in order to make the concept suitable for aviation. The current prototype is set to go through one more optimization loop to increase thrust and reduce weight. The company expects its technology demonstrator aircraft to be ready by the end of 2020.

The CycloTech team is made up of 15 international engineers, and is currently seeking funding to finish its proof of concept aircraft and create strategic partnerships with aircraft manufacturers. You can learn more about CycloTech and the Cyclorotor technology at the company’s website:
www.cyclotech.at

Why it’s important: Although CycloTech is still a small and fairly young company, it presents a rotor concept with extremely high potential. If the ‘Cyclorotor’ can get to market, it could potentially reduce up to 50% of the energy needed for transition from horizontal to vertical flight, and make for a more comfortable passenger experience. The world of aerial mobility should most certainly keep an eye of this aspiring Austrian company, given the uniqueness of its concept.