Research

Tiny flying bot suspended by tweezers next to penny.

Sub-gram Helicopters

UAVs Using a Miniature Flybar Prove Small Is Beautiful and Quite Useful

Scientists are developing helicopters smaller than some gnats to aid in future rescue missions and more.

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Photo of a futuristic flying taxi

Rich Man, Poor Man

For Whom Will eVTOLs Fly – and Where?

Let’s begin with the obvious: The extremely wealthy travel by private jet or limousine. Those traveling on commercial flights are literally divided into classes: first, business, and coach. Where the topography permits, e.g., in the continental U.S. and the European Union, the working class frequently travel by car or bus. There’s been much discussion about…

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Image blueprint showing energy stored in hot sand.

Is Sand the New Lithium?

Will Your Evtol Soon Be Powered by Sand?

The answer to powering Advanced Air Mobility may be shifting in a desert nearby. If you’ve ever walked barefoot on the beach on a hot day, you know you literally feel the heat. Heat is stored energy, stored energy that could be used to power homes, offices, cars (maybe even flying ones?!). Perhaps best of…

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Illustration of an eVTOL flying above a cityscape.

Before They Buy eVTOLs, People Need to “Buy Into” eVTOLs

Preparing for the reality of AAM

Public awareness of advanced air mobility (AAM) is not keeping pace with the achievements of eVTOL manufacturers.

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Multicolored pie chart just meant to serve as illustration.

Advanced Air Mobility — By the Numbers in 2023

16 stats

The latest statistics for the rapidly growing uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) market.

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Display of flying battery autonomous rendezvous and aerial docking concept.

Recharging Your eVTOLs – Midair

NASA Has Electrifying Plans for Your Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles

Swapping batteries midair, or more precisely, as NASA engineers describe their plan, “Energy Augmentation Concepts for Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles,” (EACAAMV) is a scheme devised by eight NASA scientists to recharge (if that’s the right word) eVTOLs in midair. Kapil Sheth, Nhan Nguyen, Seth Schisler, Todd Stinchfield, Corey Ippolito (NASA Ames Research Center), David Pike…

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