Urban air mobility

Last updated

Urban air mobility (UAM) [1] [2] is the use of small, highly automated aircraft to carry passengers or cargo at lower altitudes in urban and suburban areas which have been developed in response to traffic congestion. [2] It usually refers to existing and emerging technologies such as traditional helicopters, vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (VTOL), electrically propelled vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (eVTOL), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). [3] These aircraft are characterized by the use of multiple electric-powered rotors or fans for lift and propulsion, along with fly-by-wire systems to control them. [4] Inventors have explored urban air mobility concepts since the early days of powered flight. However, advances in materials, computerized flight controls, batteries and electric motors improved innovation and designs beginning in the late 2010s. Most UAM proponents envision that the aircraft will be owned and operated by professional operators, as with taxis, rather than by private individuals. [5] [6]

Contents

Urban air mobility is a subset of a broader advanced air mobility (AAM) concept that includes other use cases than intracity passenger transport; [1] NASA describes advanced air mobility as including small drones, electric aircraft, and automated air traffic management among other technologies to perform a wide variety of missions including cargo and logistics. [7] This is also supported by the drone market consulting firm Drone Industry Insights, who also includes vertiports into the definition of AAM and UAM. [8]

History

Pre-history

The development of the earliest predecessors of UAM aircraft began in the early 1900s with early concepts of “flying cars” such as Glenn Curtiss's Autoplane, developed in 1917. [9] Three years later, Henry Ford began prototyping “plane cars” as single-seat aircraft, but halted development after a fatal crash in early tests. One of the first vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft (VTOLs) was the 1924 Berliner No. 5. [10] It recorded its best performance when it reached a height of 4.57 m (15 ft) during a one-minute, thirty-five second flight. [11] Pitcairn, Cierva, Buhl and other manufacturers developed autogyros prototypes. [12] The Avrocar was a disk-shaped aircraft designed for military use. Initially funded by the Canadian government, the project was dropped due to costs until the U.S. Army and Air Force took over development of the Avrocar in 1958. The Avrocar encountered issues with both thrust and stability and the project was eventually canceled in 1961. [13]

Helicopters and air taxi services

Beginning in the early 1950s, air operators offered UAM air taxis services via helicopters in a handful of U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In 1964, New York Airways (NYA) and Pan American offered more than 30 flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport with stops in Manhattan such as Wall Street. The average cost for a one-way fare was $4–11. [14]

From 1964 to 1968, PanAm offered regular helicopter connections between midtown Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport, allowing for passengers to connect directly to their flights from the New York City Pan American building. The service was halted in 1979 after a crash in 1977 killed four people on the roof and one on the ground below. [15] In the 1980s, Trump Shuttle offered helicopter service between Wall Street and LaGuardia Airport, utilizing Sikorsky S-61 helicopters. [16] The service was discontinued in the 1990s after Trump Shuttle was acquired by US Airways. [17] In 1986, Helijet began as a helicopter airline with routes between Vancouver and Victoria in British Columbia. [18]

BLADE, launched in 2014 in New York City, providing helicopter-based air taxi services. BLADE has since launched similar services in the San Francisco Bay Area and Mumbai. [9] In 2017 Voom, a subsidiary of aircraft maker Airbus, flew more than 15,000 passengers in São Paulo, Brazil using Airbus helicopters. The Voom UAM demonstration program operated for four years and was shut down in March 2020. [14] In 2019, Uber began to offer Uber Copter in Lower Manhattan New York to John F. Kennedy International Airport. [19] Some cities have encouraged the idea of inexpensive, point-to-point air travel as a way of reducing traffic congestion and moving goods. [9]

VTOLs and eVTOLs

By the mid-2000s, aircraft designers were incorporating technologies pioneered in small drones into new aircraft designs for passengers. [20] [21] These technologies included distributed propulsion (the use of multiple rotors or fans), lithium ion batteries, inexpensive accelerometers, miniaturized navigation systems and carbon-fiber construction. In 2010, Kitty Hawk Corporation, funded by Google Co-founder Larry Page, began development of the Kitty Hawk Flyer. [20] [22] On October 5, 2011, Marcus Leng, Founder of Opener, piloted the first manned flight of a fixed-wing all electric VTOL aircraft. [23] On October 21, 2011, the co-founder and primary designer of Volocopter, Thomas Senkel, flew the first manned flight of an electric multicopter, the Volocopter VC1 prototype. In 2012, Joby Aviation and NASA partnered to prototype an experimental eVTOL. In 2014, The Leading Edge Asynchronous Propeller Technology (LEAPTech) project was launched as a collaboration of NASA Langley Research Center and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center along with Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) and Joby Aviation. [24] [25]

Lockheed Martin debuted their optionally-piloted helicopter, the S-76B Sikorsky Autonomous Research Aircraft (SARA) in 2019, in downtown Los Angeles. [26] In 2018, the Wisk Cora eVTOL test flight occurred in Mountain View, CA. That same year, Opener flew the BlackFly a personal air vehicle, after nine years of development. [23] Joby Aviation tested its tilt-rotor UAM vehicle in flight in March 2021. [27] In June 2021, EHang completed the first pilotless test flight of the AAV EHang216 in Honshu, China. [28] In the same month, Volocopter demonstrated its first public flight of an electric air taxi in France along with remote-controlled flight of its eVTOL, the Volocopter 2X. [21] In July 2021, Joby completed a flight of its eVTOL that flew a 150-mile flight on a single battery charge by flying in a 14-mile circle 11 times for a total flight time of one hour and 17 minutes. [29]

Air mobility is progressing along both manned and UAV directions. In Hamburg, the WiNDroVe project – (use of drones in a metropolitan area) was implemented from May 2017 through January 2018. [30] In Ingolstadt, Germany the Urban Air Mobility project began in June 2018, involving Audi, Airbus, the Carisma Research Center, the Fraunhofer Application Center for Mobility, the THI University of Applied Sciences (THI in the artificial intelligence research network) and other partners. Envisioned was use of UAM in emergency services, transport of blood and organs, traffic monitoring, public safety and passenger transport.

The German, Dutch and Belgian cities Maastricht, Aachen, Hasselt, Heerlen and Liège joined the UAM Initiative of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC). [31] Toulouse, France, is participating in the European Urban Air Mobility Initiative. The project is coordinated by Airbus, the European institutional partner Eurocontrol and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). [32]

Implementation

The concept was realized in São Paulo, Brazil, with over 15,000 passengers flown by Voom. There, urban air mobility was provided by helicopters. Helicopter air taxis are already available in Mexico City, Mexico. [33] Fast air connections are still associated with high costs, and cause considerable noise and high energy consumption. [34]

The Voom UAM demonstration program operated for four years, and was shut down in March 2020. [35]

Urban-Air Port, a UK Government-sponsored helipad+ startup R&D firm, with a prototype at Coventry, equipped for eVTOLs, PAVs and drones, in conjunction with Hyundai. [36]

Aircraft

Aircraft typeDescription
Short take-off and landing (STOL)STOL aircraft have shorter runway requirements for both takeoff and landing.
Small unmanned aircraft (SUA)SUAs are unmanned aircraft with a total weight (including cargo) under 55 pounds (25 kg).
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)UAVs are more commonly referred to as “drones” and can be piloted remotely or autonomously. While most UAVs are used to transport cargo, larger UAVs could transport passengers with no ability to intervene in the craft's operation.
Unmanned aircraft (UA)UAs generally refer to aircraft without the possibility of human intervention in the craft's operation, from either pilots or passengers.
Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)VTOL aircraft can take off and land vertically, as well as hover. eVTOLs are electrically powered VTOL aircraft.

Personal air vehicles (PAVs) are under development for urban air mobility. These include projects such as the CityAirbus demonstrator, the Lilium Jet or the Volocopter, the EHang 216 and the experimental Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle. [37] [38]

In the concept phase, urban air mobility aircraft, having VTOL capabilities, are deployed to take off and land vertically in a relatively small area to avoid the need of a runway. [39] The majority of designs are electric and use multiple rotors to minimize noise (due to rotational speed) while providing high system redundancy. Many of them have completed their first flight.

The most common configurations of urban air mobility aircraft are multicopters (such as the Volocopter) or so-called tiltwing convertiplane aircraft (e.g. A³ Vahana). The first type uses only rotors with vertical axis, while the second additionally have propulsion and lift systems for horizontal flight (e.g. pressure propeller and wing). [40] [41] [42]

Power source

1MW turbogenerator Honeywell 1MW Turbogenerator.png
1MW turbogenerator

In order for UAM aircraft to be most efficient, recharging and refueling must be done as quickly as possible, whether that is swapping batteries, fast recharging batteries, or hydrogen refueling. [43]

Conventional fuel

Conventional fossil fuels are readily available and offer high power density (the amount of power produced per kilogram of fuel). However, traditional piston or turbine engines emit smoke and noise. The heavy mechanical linkages needed to distribute power limit the number and configuration of rotors on an aircraft. [44]

Sustainable or synthetic aviation fuel

Synthetic fuels have the potential to produce nearly CO2-neutral energy while utilizing existing refueling infrastructure. [45] But they pose the same challenges as conventional fuel in terms of noise and mechanical limitations. [46]

Electric

Rechargeable batteries are often used in UAVs and eVTOLs. Emerging eVTOL vehicles are limited by the relatively low energy density to weight ratio in current battery technology, as well as the lack of infrastructure required for recharging stations. [41] [47] [48] : 16–18 

Hybrid-electric

Hybrid-electric systems use a combination of internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric propulsion system components. Different combinations are possible. [48] : 19–20  These systems can provide combined advantages from different energy sources, but still must be viewed in terms of the overall system's efficiency. [45]

Hydrogen fuel cells

Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity by circulating hydrogen gas through a catalytic membrane. Small fuel cells can power light drones for three times longer than equivalent batteries. Fuel cells are in development for larger aircraft. [45] Experimental regional aircraft retrofitted with fuel cell-electric propulsion systems have flown in 2023. In January 2023, ZeroAvia flew a Dornier 228 with one original Honeywell TPE 331 turboprop engine on the right wing and a proprietary ZeroAvia hydrogen-electric engine on the left wing. [49] In March 2023, Universal Hydrogen's electric Dash 8-300 made its maiden flight. [50]

Propulsion

Common VTOL and eVTOL configurations include:

Multirotor or multicopter

Multirotor aircraft have small wings, or no wings at all. They use downward-facing propellers or fans to generate the majority of their lift. [51]

Lift-plus-cruise

Lift-plus-cruise aircraft utilize vertically mounted propellers for take-off and landing, but a horizontal propeller and wings for sustained cruise flight. [45] [9]

Ducted fans

Ducted fans are a type of propeller mounted within a duct, which optimizes the thrust from the tips of the blades. [9]

Tiltrotors

Tiltrotor aircraft lift exclusively by rigid propeller and have no other horizontal propulsion type. They generate horizontal thrust by physically tilting the rotors into a horizontal position once airborne. [45] [9]

Tiltwing

Tiltwing aircraft are similar to tiltrotor aircraft, but rather than independently rotating the rotors, the entire wing is rotated. [45] [9]

Flight controls

Flight controls consists of flight control surfaces, cockpit controls, and operating mechanisms to control an aircraft's direction in flight. Honeywell, Pipistrel, Vertical Aerospace, Lilium and other companies are collaborating to create new flight controls for a variety of eVTOL aircraft. Honeywell developed a fly-by-wire computer that controls multiple rotors, a detection and avoidance radar to navigate traffic, and software to track landing zones for repeatable vertical landings. [52] [53]

Fly by wire

Compact fly-by-wire system workbench Honeywell Compact Fly-by-Wire System Workbench.jpg
Compact fly-by-wire system workbench

Fly-by-wire systems translate a pilot's inputs into commands sent to an aircraft's motors, propeller governors, ailerons, elevators and other moving surfaces. [54] They are essential in multirotor designs because human pilots cannot control multiple propellers without computer assistance. In June 2019, Honeywell introduced a miniaturized computer specifically designed for UAM aircraft. [55] [53]

Software

Advanced autonomous eVTOL fleets require management software to scale to profitable levels. [46] Pilot training is costly and expensive, and pilots themselves take up much of an aircraft's payload. So many manufacturers are designing aircraft that can fly autonomously as automation technology improves. [56] [45] [53] Sikorsky is developing MATRIX technology, while Honeywell is partnered with Pipistrel and other manufacturers to develop automatic landing systems for their respective aircraft. [52] [57] [58] Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are necessary to develop autonomous craft, but pose a complication to certification because they are non-deterministic, i.e. they may behave differently given the same input in the same scenario. [9] [45]

Avionics

Avionics are electronic systems designed for aircraft. Honeywell is developing integrated avionics systems comprising a vehicle management system, autonomous navigation, a fly-by-wire control system, and compact satellite connectivity. The avionics are modular and able to integrate with third-party applications. The architecture can also incorporate simplified vehicle operations, which replaces traditional pilot displays with imagery that is similar to a car GPS system or smartphone app. [46]

Infrastructure

UAM requires infrastructure for vehicles to take off, land, be repaired, recharge or refuel, and park. [8] The size of the physical infrastructure determines the market size, as trips can only be completed between established landing areas. While some components can be integrated into existing aviation and aerospace infrastructure, additional facilities need to be constructed. For large cities it is estimated that there could be 85–100 take-off and landing pads to accommodate a UAM environment. [59] [60] [61]

Vertiports

See main article vertiport

According to the FAA, a vertiport is an identifiable ground or elevated area, that can be associated with various equipment and facilities, used for the take off and landing of tiltrotor aircraft and rotorcraft. [62] : 72–73  The industry has used different terms for describing the various levels of equipment and sizes of these facilities. Vertipads are simple landing pads designed to be used by one aircraft at a time. Vertiports or vertibases can feature one or more final approach and takeoff (FATO) and touch-down and lift-off (TLOF) areas, as well as several VTOL stands and other aircraft and passenger facilities. Vertihubs are larger aviation facilities serving the largest structure in the UAM environment. They can offer service ssuch as FBOs and MROs. Vertihubs would serve concentrated high-traffic regions. [63]

In 2020, Lilium announced their plans to construct a vertiport near Orlando International Airport. Joby has partnered with REEF Technology and Neighborhood Property Group (NPG) to use the rooftops of parking structures as take-off and landing areas. [64]

Helipads

Existing helipads, or helicopter landing pads, can be used to accommodate UAM aircraft. Helipads are insufficient to sustain the industry without construction of additional infrastructure or modification of existing helipads. [65]

Airports

Airports are already being used in limited locations to facilitate on-demand helicopter and eVTOL services. Such airports include John Wayne Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Portland International Airport. [65]

Air traffic management

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management (collectively UTM) is a specific air traffic management system designed around the unique needs of unmanned and low-altitude aircraft. [66] UTM provides airspace integrations necessary for ensuring safe operation through services such as design of the actual airspace, delineations of air corridors, dynamic geofencing to maintain flight paths, weather avoidance, and route planning without continuous human monitoring. [65] Airspace Link developed AirHub, a system to connect cities, states, drone operators, and the FAA into a single space to map out the safest routes for autonomous drones using publicly available flight data. [67]

Regulations

Governments around the world have begun debating changes to their airspace rules to accommodate high numbers of autonomous or semi-autonomous aircraft operating at low altitudes. [68] [69] NASA and EASA have proposed concepts for the requirements of a UAM system. NASA's concept of operations, or ConOps, relies on defined corridors for UAM craft which must then abide by specific protocols when inside the corridor. [70] EASA's regulatory approach leaves local decision to “local actors” and will instead seek to certify the aircraft themselves for safety. [71] They developed the VTOL special condition to certify the specific class of aircraft that were previously undefined. [72]

Certifications

Aircraft

Aircraft need to be certified as airworthy, as well as registered with the appropriate governing body. Regulations for UAM aircraft are most similar to helicopter regulations but will need additional regulations for electric and/or autonomous craft. [46] FAA established certification basis for its eVTOL craft. [73] eVTOLs are classified with the FAA as an airplane that can take off and land vertically. [74] EASA released special condition VTOL certification to separate VTOLs and eVTOLs from conventional rotocraft or fixed-wing aircraft. [75] Archer Aviation uses a blend of the FAA Part 23, 27, 33, 35, and 36 requirements to certify its eVTOL. [76] BETA applied for eVTOL certification under Part 23 with the FAA. BETA was the first manned eVTOL to receive military airworthiness from the Air Force. [77]

Operations

All VTOL and eVTOL aircraft that carry persons or property for hire must be flown by an appropriately certificated operator. Joby applied for a FAA Part 135 certificate to operate their own aircraft for UAM projects. [78] Lilium partnered with Luxaviation to operate eVTOL jets in Europe. [79]

Pilots

Pilots need to be certified to operate an eVTOL and remote eVTOLs. [80] [46] Pilots can obtain a commercial pilot license (CPL(H)) or an air transport pilot license (ATPL(H)) for manned craft. [77] CAE is developing training programs utilizing data analytics with complex simulators. CAE and BETA partnered to offer eVTOL pilot and maintenance technician training for ALIA eVTOLs. CAE and Volocopter partnered to develop a pilot training program for Volocopter eVTOLs. [77]

Mechanics

Mechanics also need to be certified, but as this is an emerging industry, there are not yet regulations in place to do so for the relevant aircraft and technologies. [81]

Applications

Applications include commute, law enforcement, air medical, fire, private security, and military. [82]

Public acceptance

Public acceptance of UAM relies on a variety of factors, including but not limited to safety, energy consumption, noise, security, and social equity. Safety risks overlap with most current aircraft risks, including the potential for flights outside of approved airspace, proximity to people and/or buildings, critical system failures or loss of control, and hull loss. In the case of autonomous or remote-piloted aircraft, cybersecurity becomes a risk as well. The type of and volume of the noise caused by aircraft and rotorcraft are two leading factors regarding the public perception of eVTOL craft in UAM applications. [83] Specific security concerns include the physical security of passengers in the absence of crew members and the cybersecurity of both the craft and the systems governing it. In regard to social equity, the high initial costs of UAM services could prove to be detrimental to public opinion, especially as the affordability of services and technologies is not guaranteed. In the NASA UAM market study, respondents with higher incomes were more likely to take UAM trips. [84] An EASA survey showed that 83% of respondents had a positive attitude towards UAM, while 71% were ready to try UAM services. [85] Projects underway include Lilium announcing to create the first U.S. vertihub in Orlando for its on-demand electric jet service [86] and EHang created an UAM pilot program in Spain in the city of Seville. [87]

Training and education

In December 2016, the Vertical Lift Research Centers of Excellence (VLRCOE) announced its new academic teams for its program. [88] The joint effort of the United States Army, United States Navy, and NASA aims to foster direct collaboration between the government and academic institutions. Universities have been associated into various teams: Georgia Institute of Technology, Iowa State University, Purdue University, University of Michigan, and Washington University; University of Liverpool, Pennsylvania State University, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, University of California, Davis, and University of Tennessee, University of Maryland, United States Naval Academy, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Texas at Austin, and Texas A&M University; Technical University of Munich, Roma Tre University, and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. [89]

Volocopter and CAE partnered to create the first eVTOL pilot training and development program in July 2021. [90] [91]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air taxi</span> Small commercial aircraft which makes short flights on demand

The air taxi market is an application of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) – air transportation systems that utilize advanced technologies such as vertical takeoffs, autonomous capabilities, or fully-electric systems – for short to mid range on-demand flights. Many AAM vehicles are designed for Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) or Vertical Takeoff and Landings (VTOL); electric VTOL aircraft are also prominent, known as eVTOLs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal air vehicle</span> Type of aircraft

A personal air vehicle (PAV) is a proposed class of passenger aircraft providing on-demand air transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric aircraft</span> Aircraft powered directly by electricity, with no other engine needed

An electric aircraft is an aircraft powered by electricity. Electric aircraft are seen as a way to reduce the environmental effects of aviation, providing zero emissions and quieter flights. Electricity may be supplied by a variety of methods, the most common being batteries. Most have electric motors driving propellers or turbines.

Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. is a company based in Guangzhou, China that develops and manufactures autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) and passenger AAVs which have entered service in China for aerial cinematography, photography, emergency response, and survey missions.

Blade Air Mobility, Inc. is an aviation company headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. Blade's urban air mobility platform provides air transportation for passengers and last-mile critical cargo, primarily using helicopters and amphibious aircraft for passenger routes in the United States, Canada, Southern Europe, and India, in addition to being one of the largest air medical transporters of human organs for transplant in the world. Blade began trading on the Nasdaq on May 10, 2021, via a SPAC merger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passenger drone</span>

A passenger drone is an autonomous aircraft that is designed to carry a small number of passengers to a destination.

The Airbus CityAirbus is a multinational project by Airbus Helicopters to produce an electrically powered VTOL personal air vehicle demonstrator. It is intended for the air taxi role, to avoid ground traffic congestion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airbus A³ Vahana</span> Former personal air vehicle prototype

The Airbus Vahana was an electric-powered eight-propeller VTOL personal air vehicle prototype financed by A³, by Airbus and Airbus Urban Mobility. The Vahana project started in 2016 as one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. Airbus "envision[s] Vahana being used by everyday commuters as a cost-comparable replacement for short-range urban transportation like cars or trains". It was planned to be a part of urban air mobility. The project was finished in December 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joby Aviation</span> American aviation company

Joby Aviation is a United States venture-backed aviation company, developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that it intends to operate as an air taxi service. Joby Aviation is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, and has offices in San Carlos, California; Marina, California; and Munich, Germany.

Volocopter GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturer based in Bruchsal and founded by Alexander Zosel and Stephan Wolf. The company specializes in the design of electric multirotor helicopters in the form of personal air vehicles, designed for air taxi use. The CEO is Dirk Hoke and chairman Stefan Klocke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertical Aerospace</span> British aerospace manufacturer (e. 2016)

Vertical Aerospace Ltd. is an aerospace manufacturer based in Bristol, England. It designs and builds zero emission, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) electrically powered aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta Technologies</span> Vermont electric aircraft manufacturer

Beta Technologies, is a South Burlington, Vermont-based aerospace manufacturer developing electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) and electric conventional take-off and landing (eCTOL) aircraft for the cargo, medical passenger, and military aviation industries. The company has also developed a network of chargers which can supply power to their aircraft and other electric vehicles. Training programs for future electric aircraft pilots and maintainers are also provided.

An electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is a variety of VTOL aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically. This technology came about owing to major advances in electric propulsion and the emerging need for new aerial vehicles for urban air mobility that can enable greener and quieter flights. Electric and hybrid propulsion systems (EHPS) have also the potential of lowering the operating costs of aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volocopter VoloRegion</span> Proposed personal air vehicle

The VoloRegion is an electrically powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically (eVTOL). It is being developed by the German company Volocopter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archer Aviation</span> American electric aircraft manufacturer

Archer Aviation Inc. is a publicly traded company headquartered in San Jose, California, which is developing eVTOL aircraft.

Wisk Aero is an aerospace manufacturer based in Mountain View, California, United States. The company develops self-flying electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to be operated as air taxis. The company was formed in 2019 as a partnership between Boeing and Google co-founder Larry Page's Kitty Hawk aircraft company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced air mobility</span> Next generation aviation

Advanced air mobility (AAM) are systems that incorporate support for next-generation transport such as such as remotely piloted, autonomous, or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. This includes those powered by electric or hybrid-electric propulsion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volocopter Volocity</span> Proposed personal air vehicle

The VoloCity is an electrically powered aircraft that can fly autonomously and take off and land vertically. It is produced by the German manufacturer Volocopter and is its first series model.

The National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence is a research facility dedicated to studying air mobility and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). It contains 30,000 square feet of administrative, laboratory, meeting, and collaboration space with an additional 25,000 square feet of aircraft hangar space. The facility is located at the Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport, which is close by to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Veronte Autopilot is a family of autopilot systems developed by Embention, a Spanish company specializing in safety-critical avionics for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Known for its advanced control capabilities, the Veronte Autopilot systems are designed to meet stringent reliability and certification requirements, allowing their integration into both manned and unmanned aircraft.

References

  1. 1 2 "Urban Air Mobility and Advanced Air Mobility". Federal Aviation Administration. United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Urban Air Mobility (UAM)". eu-smartcities.eu. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  3. ↑ Cohen, Adam P.; Shaheen, Susan A.; Farrar, Emily M. (2021). "Urban Air Mobility: History, Ecosystem, Market Potential, and Challenges". IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems. 22 (9): 6074–6087. doi:10.1109/TITS.2021.3082767.
  4. ↑ "Positioning Helicopters in the Urban Air Mobility Ecosystem". asd-europe.org. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  5. ↑ Thurber, Matt. "Eco Helicopters Launching Urban Air Mobility Operations". Aviation International News. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  6. ↑ Vascik, Parker D. (Parker Denys Neff) (2020). Systems analysis of urban air mobility operational scaling (Thesis thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. hdl:1721.1/128057.
  7. ↑ Hill, Brian (2 December 2020). "UAM Vision Concept of Operations (ConOps) UAM Maturity Level (UML) 4". NASA Technical Reports Server. NASA. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  8. 1 2 Alvarado, Ed (2023-02-03). "The Vision of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) | Droneii.com 2023". Drone Industry Insights. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Urban Air Mobility | Transportation Sustainability Research Center". tsrc.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  10. ↑ "1924 Berliner Helicopter No. 5 | MNCPPC, MD". www.pgparks.com. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  11. ↑ "Berliner Helicopter, Model 1924 | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  12. ↑ "$name". www.eaa.org. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  13. ↑ "Berliner Helicopter, Model 1924 | National Air and Space Museum". airandspace.si.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  14. 1 2 "A ROADMAP TO CERTIFY FLYING CARS" (PDF). atca.org.
  15. ↑ Defense Technical Information Center (2001-12-01). DTIC ADA398619: FAA Vertical Flight Bibliography, 1962-2001.
  16. ↑ "The Trump Shuttle Connection timetable December 4, 1989". Airline Timetable Images.
  17. ↑ Flanagan, Graham. "The rise and fall of Donald Trump's $365 million airline". Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  18. ↑ "Helijet Airways history from Americas, Canada". Airline History. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  19. ↑ Vora, Shivani (2019-06-05). "Uber Copter to Offer Flights From Lower Manhattan to J.F.K." The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  20. 1 2 "Larry Page is quietly amassing a 'flying car' empire". The Verge. 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  21. 1 2 "Volocopter Flies at Paris Air Forum". HeliHub.com. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  22. ↑ "Kitty Hawk Flyer (defunct prototype)". evtol.news. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  23. 1 2 "Opener BlackFly". evtol.news. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  24. ↑ Larson, George C. "Electrical Power Will Change the Look of Aviation". Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  25. ↑ "Great Electric Airplane Race". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  26. ↑ "What is it like to fly a helicopter with a tablet?". Vertical Mag. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  27. ↑ McNabb, Miriam (2021-03-01). "Joby Aviation Air Taxi: First Footage of Vehicle in Flight [VIDEO]". DRONELIFE. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  28. ↑ "EHang completes its first auto, no-pilot AAV trial flight in Japan". DroneDJ. 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  29. ↑ Hawkins, Andrew J. (2021-07-27). "Watch Joby Aviation's electric air taxi complete a 150-mile flight". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  30. ↑ "Commercial use of drones: WiNDroVe project launched". zal.aero. Jul 11, 2017. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Urban Air Mobility Initiative". icas.org. Sep 24, 2018. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  32. ↑ MASCHIO, Isabella (2016-01-14). "European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities". e3p.jrc.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  33. ↑ "Voom". airbus.com. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  34. ↑ Andreas Thellmann (Mar 20, 2018). "The Future of Urban Air Mobility - TEDxWHU". youtube.com. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Closing This Chapter: Our Learnings On Transforming How People Move". airbus.com. Mar 30, 2020. Retrieved Sep 24, 2021.
  36. ↑ "UK Government Funds Development of Pop Up eVTOL Airport in Coventry". Aviation Today. 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  37. ↑ "Urban Air Mobility – the sky is yours". icas.org. Nov 27, 2018. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  38. ↑ "The Complete Market Overview of the eVTOL Industry". transportup.com. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  39. ↑ Michael Shamiyeh, Raoul Rothfeld, Mirko Hornung (Sep 14, 2018). "A Performance Benchmark of Recent Personal Air Vehicle Concepts for Urban Air Mobility" (PDF). icas.org. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ↑ Jeff Holden, Nikhil Goel (Oct 27, 2016). "Fast-Forwarding to a Future of On-Demand Urban Air Transportation" (PDF). Uber. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-28. Retrieved Aug 20, 2019.
  41. 1 2 Nagesh, Gautham (2021-11-22). "Taxi! To the Airport — by Air, Please". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  42. ↑ Grossman, Eric. "Electric Air Taxis Are About to Take Off". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  43. ↑ "To take off, flying vehicles first need places to land | McKinsey". www.mckinsey.com. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  44. ↑ "The Inevitable Merge of UAM and UAV: Part 1". www.commercialuavnews.com. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Multicopter in the rescue service" (PDF). Volocopter.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 "URBAN AIR MOBILITY (UAM) MARKET STUDY" (PDF). NASA.
  47. ↑ "Are Batteries Truly Enough to Power eVTOLs?". interactive.aviationtoday.com. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  48. 1 2 Le Bris, G; et al. (2022). ACRP Research Report 236: Preparing Your Airport for Electric Aircraft and Hydrogen Technologies. Transportation Research Board (Report). Washington, DC.
  49. ↑ Solomon, T. With First Flight and More, ZeroAvia Turns a Corner in 2023. February 22, 2023: https://www.zeroavia.com/first-flight-and-more. Accessed March 8, 2023.
  50. ↑ Verger, R. This plane powered by hydrogen has made an electrifying first flight. March 7, 2023: https://www.popsci.com/technology/hydrogen-fuel-cell-aircraft-explained/. Accessed March 8, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Aircraft Configuration - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  52. 1 2 "Honeywell Forms Business Unit Dedicated To Unmanned Aerial Systems And Urban Air Mobility". www.honeywell.com. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  53. 1 2 3 Gaubatz, Naish (2019-06-11). "Honeywell Releases Their New Compact Fly-By-Wire System for UAM". TransportUP. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  54. ↑ "Fly-by-wire controls set for electric flight". Aerospace Testing International. 2020-07-23. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  55. ↑ "Honeywell Goes "All In" on Urban Air Mobility". evtol.news. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  56. ↑ "UAM Autonomy: What It's Going to Take". AeroCar Journal. 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  57. ↑ "Airflow Partners with Pipistrel for Proof-of-Concept Electric-Propulsion Aircraft". Aviation Today. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  58. ↑ "Airflow, Pipistrel Partner For eSTOL Concept". FLYING Magazine. 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  59. ↑ Limited, EHang Holdings (2021-01-12). "EHang to Provide UAM Services in Hengqin New Area in Zhuhai, China". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite press release}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  60. ↑ "The ABC's of UAM Infrastructure: If You Don't Build It, They Won't Come By Jeff Guzzetti | Aerospace Tech Review". www.aerospacetechreview.com. 27 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  61. ↑ "Understanding Infrastructure Challenges for Urban Air Mobility Development in the US". Aviation Today. 2020-10-12. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  62. ↑ Mallela, J.; Wheeler, P.; Le Bris, G.; Nguyen, L.-G. (2023). ACRP Research Report 243: Urban Air Mobility: An Airport Perspective. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26899/urban-air-mobility-an-airport-perspective
  63. ↑ "To take off, flying vehicles first need places to land | McKinsey". www.mckinsey.com. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  64. ↑ says, Alan McMillan. "Joby partners with REEF Technology on aerial rideshare infrastructure". evtol.com. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  65. 1 2 3 "Urban Air Mobility | Transportation Sustainability Research Center". tsrc.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  66. ↑ Gipson, Lillian (2018-08-31). "UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Project". NASA. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  67. ↑ admin (2021-03-31). "DroneX Tradeshow & Conference - What can you expect to see at the new show this year?". Urban Air Mobility News. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  68. ↑ Serrao, Jacqueline; Nilsson, Sarah; Kimmel, Shawn (2018-11-21). "A Legal and Regulatory Assessment for the Potential of Urban Air Mobility (UAM)". doi:10.7922/G24M92RV.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  69. ↑ Alvarado, Ed (2023-01-23). "The Evolution of Drone Laws in 2023 | Droneii.com". Drone Industry Insights. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  70. ↑ "Five things to know about NASA's ConOps for urban air mobility". evtol.com. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  71. ↑ Butterworth-Hayes, Philip (2021-05-19). "EASA announces eVTOL certification expected 2024, clear approval of citizens and key role for local authorities". Unmanned airspace. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  72. ↑ HQ, Osinto (2020-01-20). "EASA's EVTOL CERTIFICATION PROCESS". Osinto. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  73. ↑ says, Jasper Nuyens. "Joby shares detailed timelines for eVTOL certification and commercialization". evtol.com. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  74. ↑ "eVTOL Certification: Where Are They Now and the Challenges that Still Lie Ahead". Aviation Today. 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  75. ↑ says, Lucas Marchesini. "EASA details approach behind VTOL special condition". evtol.com. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  76. ↑ "eVTOL Certification: Where Are They Now and the Challenges that Still Lie Ahead". Aviation Today. 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  77. 1 2 3 "CAE and BETA Team Up on eVTOL Pilot Training". Aviation Today. 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  78. ↑ "Joby moves on Part 135 certificate". www.aopa.org. 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  79. ↑ Gislam, Steven (2021-05-28). "Luxaviation & Lilium partner to build eVTOL airlines in Europe". Industry Europe. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  80. ↑ "Description of the NASA Urban Air Mobility Maturity Level (UML) Scale". 2020-01-11. doi:10.2514/6.2021-1627.vid . Retrieved 2022-01-06.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  81. ↑ Stonor, Chris (2021-09-21). "CAE, BETA Technologies announce collaboration for pilot and maintenance training program". Urban Air Mobility News. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  82. ↑ Garrow, Laurie A.; German, Brian J.; Leonard, Caroline E. (2021-11-01). "Urban air mobility: A comprehensive review and comparative analysis with autonomous and electric ground transportation for informing future research". Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies. 132: 103377. doi: 10.1016/j.trc.2021.103377 . ISSN   0968-090X. S2CID   244185347.
  83. ↑ Yedavalli, Pavan; Mooberry, Jessie. "An Assessment of Public Perception of Urban Air Mobility (UAM)" (PDF). Airbus. S2CID   208253593.
  84. ↑ Garrow, Laurie A.; German, Brian J.; Leonard, Caroline E. (2021-11-01). "Urban air mobility: A comprehensive review and comparative analysis with autonomous and electric ground transportation for informing future research". Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies. 132: 103377. doi: 10.1016/j.trc.2021.103377 . S2CID   244185347.
  85. ↑ "EASA publishes results of first EU study on citizens' acceptance of Urban Air Mobility". EASA. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  86. ↑ Spear, Kevin (11 November 2020). "Electric jet aims for Lake Nona as the nation's 1st 'vertiport' for flying taxi service". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  87. ↑ "Seville to run the first urban air mobility pilot program in Spain | Eltis". www.eltis.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  88. ↑ Margetta, Robert (2021-08-10). "NASA Renews Support of Vertical Lift Research Centers of Excellence". NASA. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  89. ↑ Murran, Miguel A.; Najjaran, Homayoun (1 October 2012). "Direct current pulse train actuation to enhance droplet control in digital microfluidics". Applied Physics Letters. 101 (14): 144102. Bibcode:2012ApPhL.101n4102M. doi: 10.1063/1.4756914 .
  90. ↑ "Volocopter and Canada's CAE launch first eVTOL pilot training program". DroneDJ. 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  91. ↑ Swartz, Kenneth I. (8 July 2021). "CAE and Volocopter Partner to Create Global eVTOL Pilot Training Program". The Electric VTOL News.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.