Research

Delft University diagram showing how scientists tested remaining lithium-ion battery life.

Teaching eVTOL Batteries to Teach Themselves to Self-Diagnose

The lithium-ion batteries at the heart of the eVTOL revolution will be tasked with performance gymnastics unlike those asked of any electric-powered vehicles in history. Start. Stop. Take off. Fly. Land. And then . . . do it again. And again. The batteries will discharge power and need to be recharged dozens of times a…

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A map of the counties in the United States colored by the percent of annual acceptable flyable time slots of the airport closest to it.

Weather or Not – AAM Operators Need to Know

The ability to predict variations in temperature, visibility, wind, and cloud cover will impact AAM operations and profitability.

As advanced air mobility (AAM) and urban air mobility (UAM) operators prepare for takeoff, perhaps the one constant they can count on is weather. From hot today to chilly tomorrow, eVTOL operations are especially sensitive to weather. Scientists and researchers, Ashima Sharma, Jay Patrikar, Brady Moon, Sebastian Scherer, and Constantine Samaras conducted a study sponsored…

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Illustration showing software detecting drone.

Drones – The Good, the Bad, and the Amazing

Emerging drone technology

Drone technology is being used in many creative ways, not all of it good!

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A small drone with toroidal propellers

Toroidal Propellers May Quietly Pave the Way to UAM Package Deliveries and More

According to MIT research

Making drones quieter by redesigning propellers may be the key to public acceptance of unmanned deliveries.

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battery on its side, magnetic field running through it

Vertically Aligned Electrodes May Improve Battery Charging Times by 500%

For AAM, Vertical May Not Just Be for Take Off, It Could Be Good for Electrode Alignment Too

The linchpin of eVTOL transportation’s commercial success (read “profitability”) fundamentally lies within that lowercase “e”– the electric part of the acronym. But, one of the challenges eVTOL developers and manufacturers face is their ability to quickly and efficiently keep their lithium-ion powered vehicles sufficiently charged to keep them aloft. The Challenge of Keeping eVTOLs Charged…

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front of MIT's microaerial-vehicle, a mini drone

MIT Scientists Built Insect-Sized Drones

A Bug’s Eye-View

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s an insect-sized drone, just two inches long!

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