Tag: CES 2020
Enabling a Safe, Secure and Inclusive Sky with Aerial Mobility
Public and regulatory preparedness for aerial mobility are two of the top priorities for seamlessly integrating the rapidly developing technology in to the current global infrastructure. Following the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao shared some thoughts about how the United States—specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation— is...

Enabling a Safe, Secure and Inclusive Sky with Aerial Mobility

Public and regulatory preparedness for aerial mobility are two of the top priorities for seamlessly integrating the rapidly developing technology in to the current global infrastructure. Following the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao shared some thoughts about how the United States—specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation— is approaching this technology. The following is an excerpt from the discussion:
“First, as with every other mode of transportation, safety is our Number One priority. UAM aircraft, and the infrastructure that supports these novel operations, will require a level of safety commensurate with the complexity of any operation that engages in passenger carriage for hire. So the commercial availability of UAM technology in the United States will depend upon companies developing robust, reliable, and technically capable designs that have been shown to be compliant with the applicable airworthiness and safety regulations.
“As you know, Urban Air Mobility vehicles are not helicopters or scaled-up drones. They are complex systems involving infrastructure, new systems and new aircraft. A segregated approach to airspace integration may work for initial, low-volume operations resembling existing helicopter corridors in large urban areas. But a long-term solution that accommodates hundreds- if not thousands- of these air vehicles operating simultaneously over urban landscapes is a complex challenge. It will involve advanced concepts in Air Traffic Management Systems and Trajectory Based Operations, to name a few.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao
“The Department’s FAA will be working with state and local governments and stakeholders over the next two years to define the requirements for these unique types of operations. Let me note that, consistent with this Administration’s approach to new technologies, the FAA has shifted from prescriptive rules to performance-based regulations. This approach will ensure that, as UAM technology and operations evolve, federal regulations will strengthen safety but be agile enough to grow with the technology. The Department will continue to work with industry stakeholders to identify the challenges, gaps, and opportunities associated with UAM.
“Let me add one more thought to this discussion. To be fully deployed, UAM technology must first win the public’s trust and acceptance. UAM systems will be flying directly over– and landing near– neighborhoods and workplaces. So it is imperative that the public’s legitimate concerns about safety, security, noise and privacy be addressed. I challenge the UAM industry to step up, and educate communities about the benefits of this new technology and win their trust. It is critical to ensuring that UAM technology reaches its full potential.”
Why it’s important: These vehicles have the potential to create new mobility options for millions and change how people travel to and around cities, as well as to and from rural areas. This potential has stimulated billions of dollars of investment in UAM technology, as well as first-of-its-kind roundtable discussions with urban air mobility leaders and advocates, as took place at CES 2020.
Source // U.S. Department of Transportation
Bell Unveils All-Electric Nexus 4EX at CES 2020
Bell’s new four-rotor version of its Nexus eVTOL is optimized for intra-urban mobility. The Consumer Electronics Show 2019 was a hotbed for new aerial mobility technologies, and this year is culminating in a similarly exciting event for breakthrough UAM innovations. Last year, we saw the initial unveiling of Bell’s Nexus prototype which featured six ducted fans with variable tilt angles...

Bell Unveils All-Electric Nexus 4EX at CES 2020

Bell’s new four-rotor version of its Nexus eVTOL is optimized for intra-urban mobility.
The Consumer Electronics Show 2019 was a hotbed for new aerial mobility technologies, and this year is culminating in a similarly exciting event for breakthrough UAM innovations. Last year, we saw the initial unveiling of Bell’s Nexus prototype which featured six ducted fans with variable tilt angles to facilitate vertical takeoff and landing. The original prototype, now dubbed the Nexus 6HX due to its six hybrid-electric powered rotors, is accompanied by a fully-electric version.
Related: Bell Flight Unveils Nexus Prototype at CES 2019
Whereas the Nexus 6HX touts a range of up to 150 miles, the vehicle was originally optimized with inter-urban mobility, which necessitated the use of hybrid-electric propulsion. The specialized Nexus 4EX is instead designed specifically with up to 60-mile intra-urban flights in mind, which enabled the powerplant to be completely reliant on the latest battery technologies.
Bell CEO Mitch Snyder commented on the design choices that ultimately led to a reduced fan count and the hurdle to an all-electric powerplant:
One vehicle was compromising the attributes of each, and so we went at it in a different direction,” said Snyder. “We looked at . . . what was coming from the market and what they wanted. And we were also able to progress our technology further and understand it and say, ‘You know what? I think we can build an all-electrical [aircraft].’
Snyder also spoke about the emphasis Bell is placing on safety, and the path it plans to take to achieve EASA’s level of safety recently identified in its certification standards for small VTOL aircraft. “With this form of transportation, we want to make it safe, we want to make it quiet, [and] we want to make it clean and green,” said Snyder. “And the most important thing here, besides the safety, is we want to make it affordable, [and] accessible to everyone.”

More efficient operation was the driver for fewer ducts in the Nexus design, said Scott Drennan, Bell’s VP of Innovation. Bell Image
Bell is looking to have a certified system ready to serve the public in the middle to late 2020s, with a demonstrator to “come in appropriately” between now and then. In the interim, the company plans to continue technological development in venues such as its Systems Integration Lab (SIL), as well as regulatory development by working with the FAA to level-set all aerial mobility infrastructure to a common vision.
Why it’s important: Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are coming to the realization that the demands of an eVTOLs powerplant are largely determined by the missions it is intended to serve. As the industry hones in to what the market is demanding of a new aerial mobility service, more OEMs will under an optimization of their vehicles to make best use of electric propulsion technologies where applicable.
Sources // Bell; Vertical Mag
Subscribe to TUP
Listen to the TUP Podcast
Share this: