Wisk promises autonomous Advanced Air Mobility

Wisk promises autonomous Advanced Air Mobility

Feb 4, 2025 | Advanced Air Mobility, Autonomy, CAAM, eVTOL, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

If you’ve been following our posts, you’ll know that InDro Robotics was part of a Canadian trade delegation that visited California last week. Some 40 organisations took part – including private companies, airports, academics, Transport Canada, NAV Canada and the National Research Council Canada. The trip was organised by Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM), the organization that speaks with a unified voice on behalf of industry and others with a vested stake in the coming world of AAM.

California was chosen because it’s home to three of the leading companies in the Advanced Air Mobility space: Joby, Archer and Wisk. It’s also home to the NASA Ames Research Center – which is working closely with industry on multiple technical issues as the world of AAM approaches. Last week, we shared highlights of our visits at Joby and Archer with this post (which we’d encourage you to read for context).

Today’s post? It’s all about Wisk, the final air taxi company the delegation visited. And its vision?

“Creating a future for air travel that elevates people, communities, and aviation.”

Unlike Joby and Archer – which plan to launch with piloted aircraft – Wisk differentiates itself with its “autonomous-first strategy.” That means, once it has attained all the necessary FAA certifications, the first passengers will climb on board an aircraft that flies itself. An autonomous aircraft carrying human beings? That’s a really big deal.

“When we’re successful at certifying this aircraft, that has the potential to change so much more beyond Wisk,” explained Becky Tanner, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer. In fact, she believes it will have an impact on the broader aviation industry, encouraging it to “take a step forward.”

Wisk is currently flying its sixth-generation full-sized aircraft. Its first generation was autonomous, but the following two were piloted.

“We made the conscious choice from Generation 3 to Gen 4 to stick with autonomous aircraft,” says Chief Technical Officer Jim Tighe. He points to the Generation 6 (which they call “Gen6”) on the floor.

“There will never be a pilot in that aircraft,” he says.

Below: Wisk’s Gen6 – the latest iteration of its autonomous air taxi designed to carry four passengers

 

 

Wisk Gen6 Autonomous Air Taxi

THE DESIGN

 

Like Joby and Archer, Wisk’s basic design is a fixed-wing eVTOL that uses tilt-rotors on booms attached below the wing. Two motors are on each of those six booms. The forward motors have tiltable five-blade rotors that allow them to transition for more efficient forward flight. These motors are in use throughout the flight – takeoff, landing, hover, forward flight – and any other manoeuvres. The rear motors are used for the VTOL portions of flight but are turned off once Gen6 has transitioned to forward flight.

Gen6, as you perhaps guessed, is the sixth full-size aircraft that Wisk has designed and built. And, like Generations 1, 4 and 5 it’s fully autonomous. That feature eliminates the possibility of pilot error.

“It’s obviously a differentiator,” says Tighe. “But we really believe that autonomy will enable safety. These are challenging operations. Short distance flights, you’re doing a lot of takeoffs and landings and you’re doing it in congested airspace.”

Building a completely autonomous aircraft is difficult. But it’s especially challenging – and rewarding – when you have to invent required components.

“When we first started, most of these systems did not exist – so we had to build them ourselves,” CTO Tighe told the Canadian delegation. That included motors, highly optimised batteries, flight control systems and much more. The company now holds 300+ patents globally and has carried out more than 1750 test flights with full-scale aircraft.

“It’s really important to design systems that meet our challenges for design, safety, weight and performance requirements,” he said, adding “It’s a lot easier if you can work on it yourself.”

Tighe, who dresses and speaks casually, comes with an impeccable background. After his first few years working with Boeing as an Aerodynamics Engineer, he worked as Chief Aerodynamicist for 14 years at Scaled Composites. That was the Burt Rutan company known for an incredible number of innovative aircraft and world aerospace records.

But Scaled’s jewel in the crown came right in the midst of Tighe’s tenure. The company designed and built SpaceShipOne and mothership White Knight. SpaceShipOne was a crewed, reusable suborbital rocket-powered aircraft that was carried to 50,000′ AGL while affixed beneath White Knight. When it was released, SpaceShipOne ignited its rocket engine, which took the small aircraft to the edge of space (100km). By accomplishing this feat twice within two weeks, Scaled Composites won the $10M Ansari X Prize. The technology, which includes a feathered system where the wing of the spacecraft rotates for optimal atmospheric entry, is core to the Virgin Galactic space tourism program. Tighe left Scaled Composites in 2014, moving directly to Wisk – a job he describes as “really fun if you’re an engineer.”

Below: The Gen6, which is capable of carrying four passengers of all shapes and sizes, including passengers with mobility issues

 

 

Wisk Gen6

AUTONOMY

 

Autonomy isn’t just about the technology (though we’ll get to that). It’s also part of a strategic business model in a market sector that will undoubtedly be competitive. Both Joby and Archer will initially have piloted models, meaning one of the four seats will be taken by the pilot. That not only costs more (to pay for the pilot), but also means losing revenue for one passenger on every single flight.

But will passengers embrace flying without a human at the controls? Wisk believes so, and says it puts great emphasis on safety. And here, it has some help: Wisk became a fully-owned subsidiary of Boeing in 2023 (though it operates separately). Some 150 Boeing employees are directly involved with the Wisk operation. That relationship, says the Wisk website, “allows us to tap into Boeing’s development, testing and certification expertise, and more.”

And on the autonomy front? In addition to its own inventions, Gen6 relies heavily on tried and true systems like autopilot. It’s self-flying approach includes, according to its website:

  • “Leveraging the same proven technology that accounts for more than 93% of automated pilot functions on today’s commercial flights (autopilots, precision navigation, flight management systems, etc.)
  • “New, innovative technology such as improved detect and avoid capabilities, sensors, and more
  • “Wisk’s logic-driven, procedural-based, decision-making software which provides reliable, deterministic outcomes.”

What’s more, Wisk already has a highly integrated system that allows human flight supervisors to track missions from the ground and monitor aircraft systems. Those flight supervisors will have the ability to intervene remotely, should that ever be required. It’s anticipated that, initially, one supervisor will be responsible for monitoring three missions simultaneously. Wisk offered a simulated demonstration of this system – which already looks pretty mature.

The location the delegation visited was in Mountain View, CA. This Bay Area campus is responsible for engineering, composite assembly, airframe assembly, motors, its battery lab, autonomy lab and is home to the corporate team. In addition, Wisk has additional locations in the US, Canada (Montréal), Poland, Australia and New Zealand. Its flight tests and R&D are carried out in Hollister, CA. The company currently has about 800 employees (including 50 in Montréal).

 

SUSTAINABLE AND ACCESSIBLE

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One of the many impressive things about Wisk was its emphasis on design. Engineers have worked hard to reduce the number of moving parts in the aircraft – points of failure – to the point where there no single mechanical or software problem could take the aircraft out of the sky. But equally impressive was its commitment to design.

Beyond ensuring everything is comfortable, ergonomic and safe for passengers – a great deal of work has gone into ensuring any Wisk aircraft will be accessible for people of all shapes and sizes and even with disabilities. Wisk has an ongoing program where civilians with physical or sensory limitations are brought into the lab to try out the latest iteration of the cabin and offer feedback for improvement. For example, there’s Braille in the cabin and on the flight safety cards. And, when it was discovered that a guide dog was fearful of the metal steps for climbing up and into the cabin – they redesigned them to be easier on the paws. The guide dog happily climbed aboard the redesigned steps on a subsequent visit.

In conjunction with making the service affordable, this philosophy is something Wisk emphasised during the visit.

“The big vision of this is to have this accessible for everyone,” said CMO Becky Tanner. “Making sure this feels comfortable and enjoyable and safe for all kinds of people – people with disabilities, people with different heights, shapes and sizes.”

Below: InDro’s Scott Simmie (front right) inside Gen6. InDro’s Dr. Eric Saczuk, who was attending on behalf of BCIT’s RPAS Hub (which he directs) is in the seat behind him. Dr. Saczuk is also InDro’s Chief of Flight Operations

 

Scott and Eric on Wisk Gen6

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Before we get into our view of this world, it’s also worth mentioning that the delegation had the privilege of touring the NASA Ames Research Center. We saw, among other things, a high-end simulator purpose-built for testing eVTOL flight in congested urban airspace – as well as top-level research into developing predictive models for turbulence at the coming vertiports – where these vehicles will takeoff and land.

“The worlds of Advanced Air Mobility and Urban Air Mobility are definitely coming. This is truly going to be an inflection point in aviation, and we foresee many positive use-case scenarios beyond air taxis that these technologies will enable,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece.

“It was highly instructive to get a front-row seat with these industry leaders, and we thank CAAM for its foresight in planning and executing this important trip. InDro will have some announcements of its own for the AAM space – both for service provision and more – down the road.”

We look forward to these companies gaining their final FAA Certifications – and seeing these aircraft carry passengers and eventually cargo.

Canadian delegation sees the coming future of Air Taxis and Advanced Air Mobility

Canadian delegation sees the coming future of Air Taxis and Advanced Air Mobility

Jan 30, 2025 | Advanced Air Mobility, CAAM, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

It’s one thing to hear all the buzz about Advanced Air Mobility. It’s quite something else to see it.

A Canadian delegation representing some 40 organisations (including private companies, academia, airports, Transport Canada, NAV Canada and the National Research Council) is currently in the midst of a trade mission to California, visiting leaders in the AAM space. The trade mission was organised by Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM) – the organization that speaks with a unified voice on behalf of the emerging industry in Canada.

The coming world of Advanced Air Mobility will mark a huge inflection point in the world of aviation, especially in urban centres. Sustainable and transformational aircraft that use batteries or hydrogen as a fuel source will transport people and critical supplies over large urban areas and to nearby regions that are currently underserved by traditional aviation. They takeoff and land vertically, meaning they don’t require runways. Most designs transition to forward flight and incorporate a fixed wing for greater efficiency and range. Use-cases could include transporting patients, organs and medicines between hospitals, or delivering critical supplies in a disaster scenario.

But perhaps the biggest immediate market – and one you’ve undoubtedly heard of – is for these vehicles to serve as air taxis. Let’s say you’re downtown in a big congested city like New York, LA or Toronto. You need to get to the airport, but don’t want to spend 60-90 minutes in traffic. Three large companies in California – Joby Aviation Inc., Archer Aviation, and Wisk are leading the industry. And they are laser-focussed on this particular market sector.

All three envision a scenario similar to this in your future: Using an app on your phone, you’ll one day be able to book both a car rideshare and a flight at the same time. The car will drop you at the nearest vertiport, where an air taxi will await you and several other passengers. You’ll climb in, stow your luggage, and head to the airport (or some other popular high-volume destination). The companies predict after the market settles you’ll pay about the same as an Uber X for the privilege, but will reach your destination in a fraction of the time.

And time, says Joby’s lead on Corporate Development and Partnerships, is ultimately the key value proposition.

“(Joby has a) Deep alignment to sustainably give people time back – to spend it with the people who matter most,” Vinay Patel told the trade mission at the start of its tour on Tuesday.

And, as the delegation saw, Joby appears to have the technology to do precisely that.

Below: The CAAM-led delegation watches a Joby demonstration flight. Image courtesy of Joby via LinkedIn

Joby CAAM demo, Joby image

JOBY

 

Joby was the first stop for the Canadian trade delegation. All members of the mission signed NDAs, so there’s a limit to what we can reveal here. What we can say – and this applies to all three companies – is that the hype is real. Though there are still FAA certification hurdles to overcome and production to scale, these aircraft are indeed transformative and will someday change both our skies – and our experience of flying. Depending on your city and your destination, spending precious time in gridlock could become a distant memory.

One of Joby’s big selling points – in addition to the convenience and efficiency – is that these aircraft are quiet. When in forward flight, the company says tests have shown the sound pressure level is basically equivalent to a background conversation. During the demonstration, the aircraft took off vertically and went into hover for some specific manoeuvres. Vertical takeoff and landing are the loudest phase of flight.

During the demonstration, the aircraft was – and we’re giving you our best guess here – about 125 metres away. An Apple Watch registered a mere 73 decibels at peak, followed by a steady 67 dBa at hover. Plus, the aircraft did not have the unpleasant whine that often characterises multi-rotor vehicles. Joby and the other companies visited have all put a great emphasis (and countless engineering hours) into reducing the noise level of these aircraft. It’s something they know is an important factor for public acceptance, especially with plans for frequent flights in urban settings. Noise, based on this demo, will not be an issue when these roll out.

 

SOME COOL STUFF

 

There was no shortage of that. But a few things at Joby really stood out. The company is highly vertically integrated – meaning it manufactures nearly everything that goes into its aircraft. This allows it to, obviously, manufacture to its own specs and its own quality control standards. We were able to handle pieces of several 3D printed metal parts – which were unbelievably light. Keeping down weight, of course, extends both range and increases payload capacity – both of which are priorities.

“What makes Joby special is the vertical integration,” said Founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt. “We’re leveraging the incredible advances in technology…to build dramatically more performant eVTOLs.”

The aircraft fuselage is made with composites, and automation is a factor whenever possible in its Pilot Production Plant in Marina, CA (a massive plant, capable of producing 500 aircraft per year, is being built in Dayton, Ohio). Though some parts are laid up by hand, the company uses specialised industrial arms to lay down pre-impregnated composite materials to extremely high tolerances. These robots are called AFP – Automatic Fibre Placement machines. Once the multiple layers have been precisely placed, the part is moved on its jig into a high-temperature autoclave that bakes it under pressure for many hours to ensure everything fuses to maximum strength. Ultrasonic testing is completed on these parts to ensure uniform quality and zero flaws.

There’s more. So much more. But Joby’s pilot factory, designed with the assistance of Toyota engineers (Toyota is a major Joby investor) appeared to be a model of efficiency. The company is expanding its production space at this location by another 225,000 square feet – to meet demand prior to that massive Ohio facility getting online. The company’s Integrated Test Lab links a simulator to a separate room where every single component of the aircraft is activated in real-time in response to inputs for testing and data acquisition and validation. It’s known as an “Iron Bird” – because it’s just the components and not the actual aircraft and does not fly. But wow, does it ever produce valuable data. Engineers can also throw faults its way to see how the system responds. 

If you look far to the future, said CEO Bevirt, air taxis are likely just the beginning of the transformation that will result from aircraft like these. They will connect regions that currently are underserved – or not served at all – by traditional aviation. And the technology advances? They, too, are predicted to have a much larger and positive impact on the broader aviation industry. New battery and charging technologies, new avionics, hydrogen fuel – these are all major disruptors, he says.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he told the crowd.

Below: Joby isn’t the only company using an Iron Bird. Wisk also uses an Iron Bird for testing and improving the components and performance of its aircraft

ARCHER

 

The next stop, Wednesday, was a tour of the Archer facilities in San Jose. Like Joby, it’s well capitalised and on the cusp of a huge expansion. In December, it cut the ribbon on its new 400,000 square foot manufacturing plant in Covington, Georgia. Tooling load-in is underway, and by the end of the year the facility is scheduled to produce two aircraft per month. By 2030, that number is projected to be 650 aircraft per year.

Archer’s secret sauce is its proprietary electric motors. It is not chasing the vertical integration that is a hallmark of Joby, but instead purchases components it needs from manufacturers that already have these parts in FAA certified aircraft. It has partnerships with established companies like Honeywell, Safran and more. What’s unique in its path, said its head of Strategy and Business Development, is that “there are no science projects.”

MIDNIGHT

 

Its aircraft, called Midnight, has a total of 12 motors. Six sit on booms forward of the fixed wing and are tiltable for VTOL and forward flight. Six motors on the same booms but aft of the wing are fixed and used only for the VTOL portion of flight. Midnight logged some 400 flights in 2024 and flies pretty much every single day out of Salinas, CA.

The company has put a great deal of engineering into its battery technology, including thermal and electronic failsafes to either prevent or mitigate a thermal runaway. Each battery runs two diagonally opposed motors. So in the unlikely event of a battery failure, losing those two motors would still allow the aircraft to fly in a balanced mode.

Like all of these companies, full FAA certification is complex and will take time. But Archer is working closely with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of United Arab Emirates. It has plans on the table to begin flights of Midnight in Abu Dhabi by the end of 2025, and hopes for FAA Type Certification in 2026.

Below: The Canadian Trade Delegation prepares to enter Archer’s lab, followed by an image of Midnight on a display in Archer’s lobby

INDRO’S TAKE

 

InDro will definitely be part of the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility, and has done extensive research in this area, including collaborations with the National Research Council, telcos, and academia. We have laid much of the groundwork for safe BVLOS flight in mixed airspace and will be delivering medical and other critical supplies – both in urban areas and also to under-serviced regions down the road. We obviously have no plans to build an air taxi, but will be deploying drones with heavy lift and extended range capacities. Seeing these companies in California really helped solidify what this future is going to look like, and we embrace it.

“Building companies like these takes immense capital, engineering, and vision. InDro congratulates Joby, Archer and Wisk and looks forward to their deployment,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece.

“We also have concepts underway that will leverage our extensive experience in autonomous ground robots – which we believe will lead to products that could further aid efficiencies for companies like these. We look forward to revealing them down the road. We also thank the team at CAAM for putting together this valuable trade mission.”

Stay tuned. You’ll hear more about Wisk – and the NASA AMES Research Center – next week.

InDro joins Canadian Advanced Air Mobility trade mission to San Francisco

InDro joins Canadian Advanced Air Mobility trade mission to San Francisco

Jan 23, 2025 | Advanced Air Mobility, CAAM, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

InDro Robotics is pleased to announce it is part of a delegation heading to the US next week in a trade delegation organised by Canadian Advanced Air Mobility, or CAAM. As Canada’s federal industry association for AAM, CAAM is the nation’s unified voice in the sector, working with industry and regulators to advance the path toward the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility.

You’ve likely heard about AAM by now. But just in case, here’s a quick and high-level refresher: Technology advances of the past decade have led to what are often referred to as transformational aircraft. These run the gamut from large and autonomous cargo drones through to what are commonly called air taxis – electrically powered eVTOL (including standard multi-rotor, fixed-wing VTOL, tilt-rotor and other innovative designs) intended to carry humans and cargo. Nearly all of these aircraft are electrically powered and sustainable, while some involve hybrid designs with fuel-powered generators supplying or topping up electrical power for the motors. You can also throw smaller drones into the mix, as they will be sharing airspace and taking on newer use-case scenarios involving autonomous, Beyond Visual Line of Sight flight in urban settings.

 

VALUE PROP

 

These aircraft will fulfil a number of important use-case scenarios. For example, they will transport people or cargo to areas that currently do not have airports. They will also move goods and humans quickly across large urban areas. Minimal infrastructure is needed for these VTOL aircraft. Rather than an airport, these devices will take off and land from “vertiports” similar to helicopter pads.

People or critical supplies can be transported efficiently and sustainably to places that were previously not an option for traditional aircraft – and where the cost or availability could not justify helicopter flights. They will transport critical medical supplies between hospitals in a fraction of the time ground transport would require. Smaller drones might deliver devices like Automated External Defibrillators, Epipens or life-saving medications in emergencies.

Plus, of course, air taxis will carry people across major urban centres or to nearby satellite regions. Eventually, it’s envisioned you’ll be able to hail one of these machines the same way you call an Uber – and your pickup spot will be a vertiport.

This future isn’t coming immediately, as Federal Aviation Administration Type certifications are still underway. But it most definitely is coming. Several companies – which the CAAM delegation will visit – are leaders in the air taxi space, with fully functional aircraft they plan to put into operation once FAA certification is complete.

As for the FAA? The US regulator is fully onboard with this new era but obviously wants to ensure the integration between traditional aviation and these transformational vehicles is safely achieved. To that end, it has already released a blueprint for how it envisions this mixed air traffic will play out:

THE US LEADERS

 

A number of US companies are at the vanguard of this new era, designing and testing aircraft that are very close to being production models. And CAAM, led by Executive Director JR Hammond, has pulled together a trip that will allow delegates to meet with several of the key players based in San Francisco. The mission will have onsite visits and – pending weather – observe demo flights at the following AAM leaders:

 

WISK

 

This company has built what it describes as the “world’s first self-flying, all-electric, four-seat air taxi.” Its current model, called Generation 6, “is the world’s first all-electric, autonomous, four-seat eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi designed for passenger transport. Our larger, spacious new aircraft provides more space for passengers and their luggage, and ensures that our service is accessible for those with disabilities.”

The unique design incorporates both eVTOL and a fixed wing for range. Its eight tiltable robots enable vertical take-off and landing. Once in the air, those rotors tilt forward for the transition into more efficient fixed-wing flight. Range is 144 kilometres (90 miles), traveling at speeds up to 120 knots. Generation 6 can recharge in a scant 15 minutes, allowing for rapid turnaround. This is a fully autonomous aircraft with multiple redundant safety features, and with human oversight from the ground. WISK is a fully owned subsidiary of Boeing, and has been in operation since 2010.

Below: The WISK Generation 6

WISK Generation 6

JOBY

 

The CAAM delegation will visit another leader in this space, Joby Aviation. Its six-rotor piloted aircraft is designed to carry four people, and also employs tilt rotors and a fixed wing. It’s also fast – capable of speeds up to 320 km/hour (200 mph). Despite the six large rotors, Joby has put considerable engineering effort into one of the downsides of multi-rotors: Noise.

According to Joby, its aircraft is as “quiet as a conversation.” And they’re not the only ones saying it. The company websites quotes Aviation Week’s Guy Norris as saying: “The aircraft made only a partially perceptible sound that, in this editor’s view, would almost certainly be undetectable against the everyday noise background of an urban environment.” So that’s a big bonus.

Though there will undoubtedly be many useful routes once this aircraft is certified and integrated into US airspace, its website envisions flights such as from a downtown vertiport in New York City to JFK airport. Driving by car, says Joby, takes 49 minutes; flying gets you there in seven minutes.

The company is in the midst of testing and certification with the FAA, and has completed the first three of five stages in that process. Joby has flown more than 50,000 km on its full-scale prototype and Toyota has announced it will be investing US $500M into the company in 2025.

Below: Joby takes flight

ARCHER

 

The third air taxi company on the agenda is Archer. In 2024, the company received its Part 135 Air Carrier & Operator Certificate from the FAA – one of just two air taxi manufacturers globally to have announced receipt of that certificate. Its “Midnight” aircraft is currently undergoing FAA Type certification. The company has delivered an aircraft to the United States Air Force – the first of a potential six in a contract worth up to US $142M. It is planning to begin trials in India shortly, with other venues on tap.

All of these air taxis have interesting designs, but Midnight is particularly intriguing. It has six tilt-rotors forward of its fixed wing, and an additional six fixed rotors aft of that wing. So a total of 12 rotors lift and land Midnight vertically, while the six tilt-rotors make the transition to and provide thrust for forward flight. The tips of the tilt-rotor propellors are flexed backwards to reduce noise.

 

NASA

 

In addition to visiting the three above companies, the CAAM delegation will also spend a day at the NASA AMES Research Center. That visit will include seeing NASA’s Vertical Motion Simulator, an Advanced Air Mobility simulation, a live demonstration of an eVTOL AAM vehicle, and plenty of discussion around the implications and challenges of this new phase in global aviation.

In addition to CAAM, there will be 33 companies, regulators and research institutes on the trip. These include Transport Canada, NAV Canada, the National Research Council – as well as such established companies as CAE, Kongsberg Geospatial, and NGC Aerospace.

“This trip represents a tremendous opportunity for Canadian entities in this sector to meet with some of the leaders in the AAM world and see their technologies up close,” says CAAM Executive Director JR Hammond.

“But just as importantly, it gives these leading AAM companies a chance to learn about the incredible Canadian companies that are in or adjacent to this space and explore potential partnerships down the road. We are incredibly excited about this trip.”

Below: The Archer Midnight hits a major milestone in June of 2024, with its first transition flight. It’s a longer video, but a cool one

INDRO’S TAKE

 

The world of Advanced Air Mobility is coming. And InDro is pleased to be taking part in this CAAM-organized event.

InDro has long worked to advance the concept of integrated airspace, carrying out a broad variety of research in concert with Transport Canada and the National Research Council in areas ranging from Detect and Avoid technologies through to testing urban wind tunnels to help with prediction models and future standards for urban RPAS flight. We’ve even tested and mapped the strength of 5G signals at various altitudes in urban environments to ensure robust connections for future autonomous flights over cities and potential UTM systems.

We have concrete plans for deliveries of critical supplies, including deploying heavy-lift and long-range drones – which will be part of the AAM space. And, with our expertise in designing and building autonomous mobile robots, we foresee other opportunities.

“The future of AAM is all about automation, including autonomous flight and an eventual automated Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) system that will ensure safe flights within corridors and minimise any potential for conflict with traditional aviation,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece.

“As part of that automated future, InDro is currently exploring AMRs that will autonomously assist with tasks like cargo loading and offloading, repositioning aircraft on the ground, and more. We look forward to working with AAM clients to build robust solutions in this space.”

We’d also like to mention that this trade mission was made possible through the CanExport Program by the Government of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service.

Interested in this sector? Stay tuned; we’lll be sending reports from the field.

Aergility hits major milestone with untethered ATLIS hover test

Aergility hits major milestone with untethered ATLIS hover test

May 22, 2024 | Advanced Air Mobility, CAAM, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

A US-based company called Aergility just hit a major milestone worth recognising. The company’s uncrewed cargo vehicle, called ATLIS, successfully completed multiple untethered test hovers on May 10.

This is a big deal on the path toward commercialisation for Aergility, which has designed an aircraft unlike any other we’ve seen. It’s a VTOL with a small fixed wing that also employs managed autogyro technology to assist in lift.

We first saw this just over two years ago in Florida, at the AUVSI show. The company was attracting a lot of attention because of its range (800km/500 miles) and payload capabilities (300 pounds then; since upgraded to 500 pounds).

At the time, the product on the floor still required further integration and FAA permission before test flights could commence. Last fall, Aergility conducted successful tethered test flights – but this was the first time it was in a free hover, manually controlled by a pilot. In all, there were four test hovers, each lasting roughly a minute. Pitch, yaw and control functions were successfully tested. The aircraft also flew out of ground effect mode, to a height of six metres (20′).

“The solid performance of ATLIS in its initial and subsequent hover flights gives us the confidence to move to forward flight testing in early June. We are excited about demonstrating the full potential of ATLIS to our stakeholders,” said Jim Vander Mey, CEO of Aergility Corporation.

We’ll get into far more details about this aircraft in a moment. But first, here’s a look at a video Aergility just posted showcasing the event.

 

A CLOSER LOOK AT ATLIS

 

The beauty of ATLIS is its simplicity.

Takeoff (and hovering) is accomplished by six electrically powered rotors (the commercial version will feature eight rotors in four coaxial pairs for redundancy purposes).

Once airborne, the front tractor turboprop spins up and the aircraft begins forward flight with no awkward transition. The VTOL stage of flight lasts only about 30 seconds, so ATLIS doesn’t need to carry massive batteries.

As the forward speed increases, the power supplied to the lifting motors is reduced and eventually tapers to net zero when ATLIS reaches reaches an airspeed of 112-128 km/hr (70-80 mph). In forward flight, airspeed spins the lifting rotors.

But these rotors aren’t simply freely spinning. Remember this is “managed autogyration” – which means ATLIS is in control of the RPMs at all time – with the ability to slow some or speed up others.

“We get our forward propulsion from a turboprop, and airflow goes through the rotors to provide autogyro-type of lift,” explained Brian Vander Mey, Aergility’s head of Business Development and Partnerships.
 
“Our wings provide a portion of lift during cruise flight, but the rotors themselves carry about 40 per cent of the lift.”
 

CONTROL SURFACES

 

Although there are control surfaces for testing in the current version of ATLIS (trim tabs and a rudder for slow-speed manoeuvering), the eventual version for clients will have no control surfaces. Pitch, roll and yaw functions in both hover and forward flight operate in a similar fashion to a standard quadcopter, with variations in speed between the different lifting rotors resulting in the desired manoeuvre.

“To summarize the technology, essentially the aircraft takes off and lands vertically like a normal multi-rotor aircraft,” says Brian Vander Mey.

“But in forward flight the power for our rotors slowly tapers off until it’s down to zero net power for forward flight…(that’s where) our rotors go into a state that we call managed autorotation. It is called that because of the fine control we have over the autorotation state, allowing us to stay at net zero power while still having attitude and maneuvering control – which would expend net power in a quadcopter.”

Remember, Aergility is in control of those RPMs at all times. That means if pitch, yaw or roll are required, it can accomplish this by putting the brakes on the appropriate rotors and speeding up others. In doing so, similar to a Tesla, regenerative braking is involved.

“So if we need to make some sort of a banking maneuver, we may accelerate rotors on one side and brake rotors on the other side, which both consumes and generates power, but in equal proportions. So we end up maintaining net zero power usage across the whole system.”

In other words, the energy created by putting the brakes on one rotor generates electricity that is applied to another. Because of this design, ATLIS doesn’t have to carry much battery power, which means lower battery weight and greater payload capacity.

“That means that our range is only limited by the amount of fuel that we have on board.”

Below: An image from an Aergility information deck shows how the system works

Aergility Deck

REMOTE LOCATIONS, LIMITED INFRASTRUCTURE

 

Its impressive payload capacity and range make ATLIS ideal for getting critical cargo to remote locations, or places with limited infrastructure. It requires only a 9m x 9m (roughly 30′ x 30′) space for takeoff of landing, and the company says it has a small downwash and noise signature.

This makes it ideal, says Brian Vander Mey, for multiple use-case scenarios. It is perfect, he says, for “anywhere that is difficult to access due to its remoteness, or where the cost of getting there is prohibitive, or areas with non-existent, limited, or damaged infrastructure.”

He then offers a few examples:

“This could include places like Puerto Rico, where all of the roads were destroyed by Hurricane Maria. It could be used in mining, oil & gas – really anywhere that fits that profile that it’s hard, dangerous or expensive to get there via other means.

“Canada may be one of the biggest potential opportunities. We’ve spoken with Canada Post and learned of the challenges delivering to the northern regions and First Nations communities, and with the massive wildfire problems, this aircraft can address remote support.”

CEO Jim Vander Mey adds: “We look forward to the impact this technology will have on various industries, including logistics, disaster relief, and military applications.”

 

 

COMMERCIAL VERSION

 

The current version of ATLIS will be going through further testing, starting with forward flight in June of 2024. Meanwhile, the team is also looking ahead to a new iteration of ATLIS intended for production for clients. Lessons have been learned – as always in R&D – that can help improve the next generation. The cargo hold will be larger and modular, the rotors will be higher off the ground to allow ground crews to move safely below the aircraft, and the previously mentioned eight-rotor coaxial VTOL system will be incorporated.

“That will enable us to lose one to two rotors and still complete a mission – not simply just be able to get down to the ground under control,” says Brian Vander Mey.

And remember how ATLIS is only required to carry minimal batteries because the period of hovering is quite brief? An onboard generator that’s part of the turboprop engine recharges those batteries completely in as little as eight to 10 minutes during forward flight. And if that generator stops working? Aergility has a solution for that, as well.

“In the event the generator was to fail, we can change the angle of attack of the aircraft,” he says.

In other words, pitch down slightly to increase the airspeed spinning those VTOL rotors.

“So the entire aircraft has more aerodynamic energy coming across the rotors and we can recharge directly off of the rotors from forward flight without the the intermediate generator on the motor.”

As stated, this machine can fly 800 kilometres (500 miles) carrying 227 kg (500 pounds). That also means it could fly shorter distances with a heavier payload – or an exceptionally long range if the payload is additional fuel. Vander Mey says the commercial version of ATLIS will be able to fly some 3,400km (1900 miles) if that cargo bay is carrying additional fuel as its payload.

Below: More data from a supplied Aergility information deck:

 

 

THE COMING WORLD OF AAM

 

Uncrewed cargo vehicles like ATLIS will play an important role in the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility – where airspace is shared between traditional aircraft and this new generation of vehicles. The FAA and Transport Canada have their own long-term plans on achieving this integrated airspace and both regulators are fully onboard with this vision of the future. Uncrewed vehicles will (generally) offer more sustainable flight, and be able to drop into locations unreachable except by helicopters at a reduced cost.

We’ve written about this world at length here. It’s also worth mentioning that in Canada, the lobby organization the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium is working closely with regulators and the industry to ensure a smooth transition forward.

There’s no question that under-serviced areas and remote locations – including those with zero traditional aviation infrastructure – will benefit greatly. There’s also, of course, the important use-cases of getting emergency supplies into disaster zones.

That world isn’t going to happen tomorrow. Nor is the FAA certification of ATLIS – a meticulous and time-consuming process that will truly begin when the commercial version of the aircraft is built. In the meantime, Aergility is operating with a Special Airworthiness Certificate (SAC-EC) from the FAA. It also has Certificates of Authorization (COAs) that cover an area near its local hangar, which grants permission for forward flight testing within a specific area (roughly 10 square miles, or 2,590 hectares). It also allows for flights at higher altitudes.

 

WAIVERS

 

When it comes to commercial applications, Aergility knows that process will be lengthy. It’s following standards set up by ASTM International during all phases of design, construction and testing.

“Industry standards are being developed through organizations like ASTM,” says Brian Vander Mey. “We expect that by aligning our processes with what ASTM is developing, that will be the the cleanest path to permission to operate in the US.”

And until that coveted certification is reached? Aergility says FAA Waivers for specific operations will be obtained to enable commercial flights for operations until then.

“We don’t need Waivers for our own testing because of our special FAA permissions. But potentially we’ll have clients initially flying under Waivers.”

 
 
Aergility ATLIS

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We were impressed with ATLIS from the moment we first saw the vehicle. Its cargo capacity and range filled a void, and the managed autogyration is an ingenious concept. But it’s one thing to see a static, non-functioning display on a convention floor – and quite something else to see this machine carry out multiple stable hovers.

“Aviation R&D is a very tricky business, and becomes more complex with larger aircraft intended for eventual certification,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.

“This is an incredible milestone for ATLIS and the Aergility team. We see great potential for this aircraft in multiple use-case scenarios, and look forward to success in the upcoming forward flights.”

To learn more about Aergility and its progress, check out its website here. You can also follow Aergility on LinkedIn here.

 

Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium attends Dubai Airshow

Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium attends Dubai Airshow

Dec 6, 2023 | Advanced Air Mobility, CAAM, eVTOL, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Ever been to a *really* big airshow?

The two best-known take place in the UK and France on alternating years. One is the Farnborough International Airshow (been there twice), and the Paris Airshow (Salon du Bourget). From the biggest passenger-carrying jets in the world down to the tiniest fastener, these massive events include every element in the aerospace supply chain (and then some). From Airbus to Rolls Royce, in-flight entertainment systems to military-spec rivets, you’ll find them there.

One of the other major global events is the Dubai Airshow. With more than 1400 exhibitors and 180+ aircraft on flying or static display, it’s also a must-attend.

This year’s event took place November 13-17, and one of the key themes was the rapidly approaching era of Advanced Air Mobility. That’s the world where transformative and sustainable aircraft (including air taxis) will play a role in transporting goods and people both within major cities and to smaller communities not currently served by traditional aviation. Many if not most of these new aircraft are being designed for eventual autonomous operation.

Canada, of course, has a stake in this new world. In fact, we recently wrote about the purchase by Vancouver’s Helijet of an eVTOL aircraft (a BETA Technologies ALIA 250) for crewed operations in British Columbia. So we were pleased to see that the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium (CAAM) attended – and presented at – the Dubai Airshow.

 

Dubai AAM

CAAM

 

Formed in 2019, CAAM is the national voice representing Advanced Air Mobility in Canada. With 70+ members spanning industry, government, academia and associations, CAAM plays a crucial role in this emerging sector. Its stated vision is to create “A unified national strategy for Zero-Emission Advanced Air Mobility with regional implementation in Canada.” And its mission?

“To build an ecosystem of national collaboration in creating and operating a sustainable, equitable and profitable Advanced Air Mobility industry in Canada.”

CAAM is led by Executive Director JR Hammond, who represented the organization – and by extension, Canada – at the Dubai Airshow. We asked him for his own short definition of AAM:

“It changes our concept of how we move people, goods and resources across our cities and regions. With these new aircraft we no longer are constrained to just railways, marine or ground transportation,” he says.

Dubai was Hammond’s first international air show – and it left quite an impression.

“We were blown away not only by the representation of Advanced Air Mobility in the RPAS sector, but how leading organizations globally – Asia, North America and Europe – brought aircraft and technology to the Middle East to showcase. This bubbling of activity globally is only expediting our operational pathways.”

Below: The Archer Aviation Midnight, an electric AAM vehicle capable of flying 160 kilometres (100 miles). The aircraft has been optimized for shorter flights of roughly 32 km (20 miles) with a charge time between flights of just 12 minutes.

 

 
CAAM Dubai AAM

THE CATALYST

 

The spark for the trip came from CAAM’s national board, says Hammond. It suggested to the executive team it would be worthwhile for the organization to have a greater presence at global gatherings – and specifically at air shows.

While a lot of AAM attention focuses on the impressive emerging aircraft technology, Hammond says there are a number of pillars that must be aligned for Advanced Air Mobility to truly take flight. Obviously, there’s the Uncrewed Traffic Management aspect – the safe integration of pilotless aircraft into traditional airspace.

But there are many other challenges CAAM has been exploring and believes are integral to the future success of AAM.

“There’s a lot of other pillars that countries and different delegations are not focusing on – like the insurance industry, or the cyber security aspect of communication. So we were tasked by the board to showcase Canada – how we can bring all of these different pillars to the global scale. A lot of these nations are not doing this and they’re seeing the challenges.

“The great example given is United Arab Emirates, which arguably is one of the leaders in AAM with their Drone Up operations… They have not focused on how they’re going to integrate this into conventional airspace, how they’re going to bring this on with different telecommunication providers and insurance providers. That’s what we’re focusing on right now and they were learning a lot from us.”

Below: JR Hammond (holding microphone) onstage during one of two sessions where he was a panelist. The first was “Pathway to eVTOL commercialisation” and the second was “Advanced aerial cargo delivery advancements.”

 

JR Hammond CAAM Dubai

GETTING THERE

 

There’s a lot of work ahead.

Obviously, there’s the development, validation and certification of aircraft. Though there are some full-scale designs now operational (such as the EHang EH216-S, which was certified in October by the Civil Aviation Administration of China), many companies are still working with scale models or Minimum Viable Products. Certification through agencies like the FAA is, by necessity, a methodical and demanding process that takes years.

There’s also the question of how to safely integrate these new vehicles into airspace currently used by traditional aviation. Will there be specific low-level flight corridors set aside for smaller AAM aircraft/RPAS in urban settings? (Mostly likely yes, and almost certainly in Canada and the US. In fact, InDro is involved in some of the research and test flights for this).

Will there be rules around where and how many Vertiports (takeoff and landing sites for eVTOL aircraft) can be established in cities? Will certain use-cases, such as urgent medical deliveries, take priority in the early phase of adoption to build public acceptance? What role in standards and operational guidelines will the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) ultimately play?

And then there are those pillars JR Hammond alluded to: Communications, insurance, cyber-security and more.

It sounds like a lot to overcome – and it is. And that’s why conversations and panels like those which took place in Dubai are so critical as the move to AAM begins to accelerate.

“Even though we are all at different stages, the amount of collaboration already occurring in saying: ‘We need to solve this together’ was by far greater than anything than I’ve ever seen before in aerospace or business,” says Hammond.

So the commitment and collaborative spirit is there.

Dubai Hammond AAM

THE PATH TO AUTONOMY

 

There is a consensus, particularly with passenger-carrying aircraft, that the jump to autonomous flight won’t be immediate. There will be a graduated approach, starting with a pilot on board those aircraft. It’s anticipated early flights will be manually controlled, then monitored by a pilot still capable of taking over if required.

“In terms of autonomy, any market entry piece will happen with a pilot on board with full control and an augmented system similar to the autopilot systems that we have on commercial airliners today,” says Hammond.

“Then, as regulations and social acceptance and – of course – our policies increase, then we can move upwards on our autonomy scales towards that ‘human in the loop’ and then of course autonomous aircraft at some point in the future.”

But, says Hammond, it will be cargo deliveries – both intra-urban and inter-regional – that will come first.

“We need autonomous operations today in the cargo space before we even have a chance at the passenger space… And more resources and more efforts are needed to solve out what those air corridors can look like, with autonomous aircraft operating in our conventional airspace.”

Below: Mid-sized drones like this, carrying medical or other critical supplies, will likely be the vanguard of the transition to AAM.

 
Dubai Hammond AAM

INDRO’S TAKE

 

With a variety of InDro Robotics delivery drones – including a model proven in trials for temperature-sensitive medical deliveries between hospitals – InDro has a vested interest in the AAM future. But it’s not just about us – far from it.

“I believe AAM will be truly transformative – and I’m not talking about the delivery of coffee and bagels to someone’s back yard,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.

“Advanced Air Mobility will mean that critical – and even life-saving – products can be quickly and safely transported across cities and to nearby regions in a fraction of the time of traditional ground delivery. It’s going to mean that people in some remote and isolated communities will be able to board regular or on-demand flights for the first time ever,” he adds.

“Plus, sustainable flight will play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a time when such measures are very much needed.”

We were pleased to see JR Hammond and CAAM representing Canada’s AAM interests – and solutions – on a global stage. (And, if this is your first introduction to AAM and CAAM, you can find out more in our primer here.)

All images, with the exception of JR Hammond on the panel, courtesy of Dubai Airshow.