Industry
UAM Autonomy: What It’s Going to Take
Autonomy is not automation. Consider this: We all want autonomy—the power to control our lives; none of us wants to be automated. The Society of Automobile Engineers International (SAE) has defined six levels of autonomy, ranging from no automation (Level 0) to full automation (Level 5) for cars. These standards have been adopted by the…
10 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Flying Cars
But Were Afraid to Ask
Who invented the world’s first successful flying car? Waldo Waterman, a San Diego, California-based aviation developer and pioneer, invented the first flying car in 1932. The tailless monoplane was dubbed the Whatsit because that’s the question most reporters asked first. The Waterman Aerobile followed in the late 1930s. Painted “Buick blue,” this flying car was…
Vertical Flight Society Awards $100,000 in Scholarships
The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) awarded more than US$100,000 to 27 young engineering scholars at 11 universities in the U.S. and Germany to recognize, incentivize, and reward their promise and talent toward advancing vertical flight. “Since 1977, our Vertical Flight Foundation (VFF) Scholarships have helped inspire generations of students to pursue careers in vertical flight,…
Batteries, Batteries, Batteries: Putting the e in eVTOLs
Thomas Edison, he of light bulb, phonograph, and kinetoscope fame was, to say the least, a prolific scientist and inventor. He also had more than a passing interest in batteries. You know, the things we are staking the future of eVTOLs and urban air mobility on. Industry focus is on lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, but as Professor Dr. Martin…
Are Actuators the Linchpins of Urban Air Mobility?
Collins Aerospace Puts the Mobile in Urban Air Mobility
Collins Aerospace (Collins), a Charlotte, North Carolina-based design, engineering, and manufacturing firm, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of aerospace and defense products. With about 68,000 employees working in more than 300 locations worldwide, Collins, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, is poised for takeoff when it comes to the burgeoning urban air mobility movement….
Frequently Asked Questions about Flying Cars
Also known as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft
When will members of the public be able to regularly ride the skies in eVTOLs? Answer: While manufacturers might tell you otherwise, NASA gives a conservative estimate of about 2030. What’s taking so long? Answer: It’s complicated. No seriously, what are the biggest obstacles to eVTOLs becoming a reality? Answer: Batteries, batteries, batteries….