Swarm co-founders Ben Longmier and Sara Spangelo holding the Swarm Tile, and a Swarm satellite. Photo: Swarm

Swarm's Internet of Things (IoT) network that connects sandwich-sized satellites to tiny, handheld hardware is now live, offering remote connectivity at the market-disrupting price of $5 per month per device. 

Swarm, which was founded in 2017 and garnered media attention in 2018 for launching satellites without FCC approval, is now an operational player in the satellite IoT market. The company announced its commercial availability on Tuesday, after it launched 36 satellites on the recent SpaceX rideshare mission. The company now has 81 satellites on orbit, 72 of which are commercial. 

The company is vertically integrated, and built and designed hardware, software, and protocols for its satellites and the user modem it calls the Swarm Tile. The Tile costs $119 per device and is a modem that can be embedded into any IoT device that operates in a remote location. 

The Tile communicates with satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) that weigh just 400 grams. Satellites pass the data to ground stations, pulling customer data into an API where it can be easily accessed. It's a two-way network, allowing a customer to send a command to the sensor. At this point, satellites pass over Swarm's ground stations about every three hours. When the company has launched its full constellation of 150 satellites, it will allow data to be transmitted at any time. 

Sara Spangelo, CEO and co-founder told Via Satellite the Swarm pricing model is four to 20 times cheaper than similar satellite offerings today, and Swarm can transmit customer data more often because of its large number of satellites. Spangelo said this pricing allows customers who may pay $10,000 each month to another provider to spend $500 per month with Swarm. The company's goal with the pricing is to bring in new customers who haven't been able to afford remote IoT connectivity before. 

"For small companies that are bootstrapped, doing low-margin things like agriculture and logistics, this is an incredible benefit to their businesses – how they operate their price points, the risks they can take, the markets they can enter," Spangelo said. "It also is at the point where people that have only previously used cell [connectivity], but want to expand their business beyond where cellular coverage is, can start to think about it as affordable." 

The company has customers from small and medium-sized businesses to Ford-owned Autonomic, which has a connected vehicle infrastructure called the Transportation Mobility Cloud. Another company SweetSense, which offers remote water and energy monitoring solutions, has a partnership with Swarm, whose pricing allows SweetSense to monitor more water supplies in Africa. 

Spangelo said Swarm has the highest demand in agriculture for water monitoring applications, and logistics for tracking trucks or maritime tracking. She also reports demand in energy monitoring, environmental tracking, and government uses, but emphasizes that the service "vertical agnostic." 

"It’s not a moisture sensor or an asset tracker. It’s a modem, or a connectivity device that can be integrated or plugged into any sort of device," Spangelo said. "We do that on purpose. We have ideas of the verticals and use cases, but we’ve been very surprised what people come around with, ones we would have never expected."

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The 36-page National Maritime Cybersecurity Plan directs a number of priority actions in three areas: risks and standards, information and intelligence sharing, and the creation of a cyber security workforce for the maritime transportation System (MTS).

"The MTS contributes to one quarter of all United States gross domestic product, or approximately $5.4 trillion," White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said in a statement. "MTS operators are increasingly reliant on information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) to maximize the reliability and efficiency of maritime commerce. This plan articulates how the United States government can buy down the potential catastrophic risks to our national security and economic prosperity created by technology innovations to strengthen maritime commerce efficiency and reliability."

Under risks and standards, the plan puts forth four priority actions, including directing the National Security Council staff to coordinate policy to sort out maritime security roles and responsibilities across the federal government and identify gaps in legal authorities. Another priority is to have the Coast Guard review its existing guidance to the maritime transportation subsector entities for reporting on cyber security breaches and activities to ensure that a broader range of incidents are disclosed.

Another risk mitigation effort is to include language for cyber security contracts in federal contracts with port operators. The fourth priority action is to create a cyber security risk framework for ships and port systems to include vulnerability inspections.

The plan calls for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to conduct maritime cyber security assessments of port facilities and vessels and directs DHS to offer grants for ports to protect themselves from malicious cyber activity.

The cyber security plan also calls for the government to share information with the maritime sector and to push for collaboration among domestic and international partners to bolster best practices. The information shared includes intelligence, both unclassified, and in some cases, classified, with industry stakeholders so they can take action to protect their systems.

A third action area under intelligence and information sharing prioritizes the collection of maritime cyber security intelligence, providing public and private stakeholders "insights into adversarial tactics, actions, motives, and intent," the new plan says.

Efforts to bolster the nation's cyber security workforce are widespread and the maritime plan offers three action items. The first calls on the Coast Guard to develop related career paths and incentives to build a maritime cyber workforce. The second item calls for the Coast Guard and Navy to develop exchange programs with industry and national laboratories for cyber security personnel "with an approach toward port and vessel cybersecurity research and application."

The final priority action directs the Coast Guard to use its cyber force protection teams to help regulated facilities and to help in investigations of marine-related cyber incidents.

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SABIC introduced two new radar absorbing LNP STAT-KON compounds for automotive radar sensors. The new grades, based on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin, may be used for integration with radomes manufactured using PBT material, which can provide superior resistance to automotive chemicals. They complement and extend SABIC’s existing radar absorbing LNP STAT-KON compounds, which are based on polyetherimide (PEI) resin for withstanding higher processing temperatures or on polycarbonate (PC) resin for general applications that require high durability and a balance of physical properties. The high radio frequency (RF) absorption of these compounds can help increase detection range and improve signal resolution. Through materials innovation, SABIC is contributing to the growth of automotive radar and the design of next-generation sensors.

“Radar sensors are a critical component of the ADAS suite, in part because they can operate in conditions such as poor visibility that impair LiDAR and camera functioning,” said Jeff Xu, LNP Product Manager, SABIC. “To support technology advancement in the radar sensor market, which is rapidly growing, SABIC continues to develop specialty materials that can enhance sensor accuracy and reliability. Our growing portfolio of LNP compounds offers high absorption of radar waves as well as potential cost benefits compared to radar absorbing materials designed for military applications.”

Press release from SABIC dated December 2, 2020

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The current Commissioners consists of CEOs and leaders from top-tier OEMs, academia and the public sector, including:

• Dr. Jared Cohon, President Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University (Commission Co-Chair) and Chair of the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine;
• Jim Hackett, Senior Advisor and Former President and CEO, Ford Motor Company (Commission Co-Chair);
• Thierry Mallet, Chairman and CEO of Transdev Group (Commission Co-Chair);
• Jason Grumet, Founder and President of the Bipartisan Policy Center;
• Richard Kramer, Chairman, CEO and President of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company;
• Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated;
• José Muñoz, Global COO, Hyundai Motor Company/President and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America and Hyundai Motor America.
• Frederick W. Smith, Chairman and CEO of FedEx Corp.; and
• Cox Automotive.

The Commission is still recruiting global experts and leaders.

With the mission to reshape transportation policy in favor of exponential outcomes for consumer safety, global opportunity and infrastructure resiliency, the Commission will encourage and harness the benefits created by an interconnected transportation system. Founded in research and advocacy, the Commission will provide new data and methodologies to drive innovative policy that optimizes across five areas for a cleaner environment, enhanced security, economic opportunity, safety, and access.

Alisyn Malek, co-founder and former COO of May Mobility, a startup focused on connecting communities with autonomous transportation, has been appointed Executive Director of the Commission. She emphasized, “The Commission’s role is to research gaps in our current understanding of how technology could help us move forward on our five areas of focus. With this insight we will advocate for policies that create the appropriate framework for the transportation of the future. It is vital for standards to be created that allow these new technologies to truly deliver on their promise of safer roads, reduced emissions, and greater economic opportunities for all sectors of society.”

The Commission is being housed within SAFE, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that enhances energy security and supports economic resurgence and resiliency by advancing transformative transportation and mobility technologies. This is SAFE’s first global initiative.

“Effective policies and regulations will be essential if we are to realize the benefits of the new transportation technologies. In the course of our research on and advocacy for connected, autonomous, micromobility and electric vehicles, SAFE has identified a need to reassess the potential of this technological revolution in the context of current policy and the need for policy change, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a nonpartisan, technology neutral, third-party organization, SAFE is ideal for housing the Commission,” said SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond.

Jared Cohon added, “Like the internet and its impact on business and society, the emerging transportation technologies have the potential to be transformative. The Commission comes at a critical time and with the critical mission of shaping the future of these technologies for maximum social benefit.”

“For over a century Ford has believed that the freedom of movement drives human progress,” said Jim Hackett. “This progress can only continue if we modernize the way policy and regulation work with the emergent innovation that is taking place today in this new era of transportation. I look forward in joining other leaders across the globe to help imagine and design the future of mobility.”

Thierry Mallet explained, “Mobility is not just about moving around, it’s about connecting (with) people, about accessing your local resources more easily. The Commission, with its broad focus, is bringing together an unprecedented group of leaders in this space to focus not on our individual elements, but to consider how do we truly improve daily mobility for the common good.”

“You need strong and broad coalitions to affect change in policy,” Jason Grumet said. “The Commission is set up to be successful in shaping transportation policy with the wide array of interests represented among its participants.”

Richard Kramer included, “With mobility at an inflection point, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to shape and strengthen transportation policies for the future. Goodyear is pleased to be part of the Commission on the Future of Mobility as one facet of how we are enabling mobility to make life’s connections easier for fleets and consumers.”

José Muñoz added, “Globally, the transportation landscape is changing. The Commission on the Future of Mobility plays an important role bringing leaders together across the public and private sector, to articulate a vision that ensures we are pursuing solutions that protect and prosper local communities.”

“As a global transportation company, FedEx depends upon and provides the mobility and connectivity upon which the world economy is built,” Frederick W. Smith said. “The Commission will be instrumental in exploring transformative technologies in the transportation space and their effect on the communities we serve.”

“As a key long-term enabler in the automotive ecosystem, Cox Automotive always has an eye on the future. The Commission delivers on the cross-industry collaboration necessary to unlock the transportation technology solutions to power a safer, more sustainable tomorrow,” Cox Automotive said.

Source: Alisyn Malek; Commission on the Future of Mobility

Posted by D. Lozowski

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A drone scans a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 for maintenance repairs.

Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) has completed its first aircraft structural inspections using a drone in an effort to speed up inspection times.

According to an Oct. 20 press release, the inspection was completed using a custom-built drone supplied by New Jersey-based technology startup Luftronix. Ukrainian aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider MAUtechnic–a sister company to UIA–helped conduct the inspections at its Boryspil International Airport hangar in Kiev.

“After years of working day and night to ensure safety and precision of our scanning equipment, we see our cooperation with MAUtechnic and UIA as a major milestone in introducing our technology to the aviation industry,” Klaus Sonnenleiter, President and CEO at Luftronix, said in a press statement. “We see this as a chance to preserve the result of each inspection, make them comparable and have inspections conducted much faster and much more efficiently than it was possible in the past.”

UIA is not the first airline to use drones for structural inspections. U.K.-based low cost carrier Easyjet became one of the first operators to start seriously evaluating the concept back in 2015. American Airlines, Air New Zealand and Austrian Airlines have all run trials using drones aimed at reducing structural inspection times as well.

The scans taken by the drones can measure the distance from the surface and curvature of the object for precise measurements and guarantee a consistent surface resolution, according to Luftronix. These scans can also be saved to analyze change over time.

The drones have built-in redundancies for critical instruments and can even account for safety-relevant scenarios and unexpected events, such as foreign objects, ladder, ropes, or other drones, according to the release. The drones also use multiple fallback systems to prevent in-flight accidents caused by equipment failures.

“Our focus is always on the quality of our maintenance, safety of passengers and flawless operation of all aircraft systems,” Volodymyr Polishchuk, Quality Assurance Manager at MAUtechnic, said in a press statement. “It was encouraging to see the Luftronix team sharing the same values and perspectives.”

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Volocopter is opening 1,000 reservations for early flights in its electric air taxi, once certified. Image: public demonstrations above Stuttgart, Germany (left), Singapore’s Marina Bay (center), and Helsinki International Airport (right). (Volocopter)

German air taxi developer Volocopter announced at Greentech Festival in Berlin it will take 1,000 reservations to be among the first to fly the aircraft once it is certified and available for commercial use.

The approximately 15-minute flights, at a cost of €300 euro, can be reserved for €10 euro and be redeemed within the first 12 months of commercial launch, according to Volocopter. Customers will also receive a video of their flight.

"While the final certification for air taxis is still pending, we do have a detailed realistic timeline to launch commercial VoloCity flights in the next 2-3 years. Moreover, those who reserve now can receive the latest updates about our progress and the commercial launch plan," said Christian Bauer, Volocopter's chief commercial officer.

As the only electric air taxi developer to have received design organization approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Organization (EASA), Volocopter is believed to be one of the companies closest to receiving certification for its VoloCity air taxi. The company has also conducted public demonstrations in in Stuttgart, Germany and over Singapore's Marina Bay.

"Based on our public test flights and regulatory achievement record, we have paved the way to make electric flight in cities common in just a few years. With the start of reservations, we now invite our supporters and innovators around the world to join us and be amongst the first to experience this new and exciting form of mobility," said Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter.

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With $75 million raised, Volansi is well-positioned in the middle-mile cargo drone delivery space. (Volansi)

Volansi completed a $50 million Series B financing round led by Icon Ventures to continue development of its autonomous vertical takeoff and landing cargo drones. Other participants in the round include Lightspeed Venture Partners, YCombinator, Harpoon Ventures OnePlanet, Graphene Ventures and Merck Global Health Innovation Fund.

Volansi's portfolio of drones, focused on autonomous middle-mile delivery, span payloads of 10 to 50 lbs, with its signature VOLY C10 carrying 10 lbs over 50 miles. That drone was recently chosen by the state of North Dakota for testing and development of its statewide beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) network, primarily because of the ease which various technologies such as command-and-control links and detect-and-avoid can be installed on the platform.

"Volansi's proposal was impressive. We feel confident that the VOLY C10 will not only meet our needs in testing the earliest stages of network deployment but will support the integration of new technology as the project evolves," said Jim Cieplak, program manager of the statewide BVLOS network. Physical infrastructure for that project will be built by Collins Aerospace, L3Harris Technologies and Thales USA.

The company's focus is on urgent delivery of spare parts, medical supplies and defense logistics, providing a cheaper and faster alternative to both helicopter and ground-based transport, particularly in areas with poor infrastructure or limiting geographic features.

"In austere, remote locations, our VTOL drones could be used to replace the use of helicopters for smaller-weight/size deliveries to remote communities. For example, providing nutrient-rich, fresh foods to small outpost communities and bringing back mail," Hannan Parvizian, CEO and co-founder of Volansi, told Avionics International. "We’ve found that utilizing our drones in these scenarios costs 1/4th the expense of utilizing manned helicopters."

Slow regulatory progress on integration of unmanned systems into the airspace will likely limit autonomous drone delivery operations in the United States for some time, but major retailers continue to announce pilot projects. Walmart recently launched one in partnership with Flytrex in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and another with Zipline in northwest Arkansas.

Daniel Pepper, founder and CEO of Vayu, a developer of delivery drones used for medical transport in Rwanda, Madagascar and other countries, told Avionics he sees small, consumer package delivery by drones of this type –particularly in urban areas – as a ‘publicity stunt' and ultimately not a profitable application of the technology.

"The places where drone-based cargo delivery makes sense are in rural, remote, and otherwise inaccessible areas, and for high value commodities," Pepper said. "In the parts of the world with an abundance of risk capital, this is a solution looking for a problem, while in the parts of the world that need (and can pay) for this capability, risk capital is scarce."

For Volansi, military contracts may be the near-term answer. In May, during the U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime virtual kickoff event, Volansi unveiled its VOLY M20, a hybrid, multi-mission variant that can carry both 20 lbs of cargo and 10 lbs of sensors up to 350 miles at 75 mph cruise speed.

Kirsten Bartok Touw, founder and managing partner of AirFinance Ventures – an investor in Volansi, as well as cargo drone startup Elroy Air – told Avionics she sees much of the significant near-term monetization opportunity for the cargo delivery space in military applications rather than the industrial space, as militaries often operate in austere environments with little existing infrastructure and also have less rigid requirements for fielding of aircraft than civil regulators.

With this Series B, Volansi's total funds raised to date reaches $75 million, granting the company significant flexibility to continue development of its aircraft and expand and scale operations globally.

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With its new VA-1X air taxi design, a significant departure from its previous ‘Seraph’ multicopter, Vertical Aerospace targets 2024 for commercial operations. (Vertical Aerospace)

Vertical Aerospace, Britain's leading entrant in the race to commercialize electric vertical flight, unveiled the VA-1X, a vectored-thrust air taxi that represents a significant departure from the company's previous multicopter design.

Specs of the VA-1X, according to Vertical:

• Range: 100 miles
• Cruise speed: 150 mph
• Noise: 30x quieter than a helicopter
• Capacity: 992 lbs payload, or four passengers plus luggage (and a pilot)

Images of the VA-1X released by Vertical Aerospace indicate a design highly efficient in cruise flight, with a 49-foot wingspan and V-shaped tail. The aircraft is powered by eight propulsors, four on each wing. Video footage released by Vertical show the rear four propellers as fixed, assisting with takeoff and landing, while the front four tilt forward to transition the aircraft into cruise flight.

Artist rendering of Vertical’s VA-1X in the skies above London. “You could travel from London to Brighton in approximately half an hour, compared to two hours driving, or an hour by train,” Vertical’s website states.

Vertical's previous design, the Seraph, employed twelve overhead propellers in a multi-rotor fashion to lift a maximum of 550 lbs at speeds up to 50 mph. Shifting toward a far more efficient design with vectored thrust and numerous control surfaces, Vertical has chosen to undertake a more complicated project that will prove difficult to certify, but may have more transport applications than their previous aircraft design.

"Without even trying, the VA-1X could compete on ~10% of the UK's weekly frequency for the 2017 schedule," tweeted Darrell Swanson, who runs electric flight and urban air mobility advisory Swanson Aviation Co. "Lots of opportunities in the north providing much-needed Public Service Obligation flights. The real opportunity is where there are no scheduled services."

Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, also tweeted in support of the company's new design, which in some ways resembles the "common reference models" released by the Uber in 2017 to help manufacturers meet their ecosystem's design requirements. Vertical Aerospace has not yet announced an agreement with Uber or other ride-hailing apps, airlines or demand aggregation services, but plans find a partner to operate the aircraft, according to a company representative.

Vertical's design of the VA-1X, powered by Dassault Systems' cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE development platform, also draws from Formula One racing. In October 2019, Vertical acquired MGI Technologies, a Formula One engineering and R&D firm, bringing in-house the ability to rapidly design and build accurate lightweight composite fuselages, conduct crash and fatigue analysis, aerodynamic testing and more.

Vertical recently expanded its previous supplier agreement with Honeywell to include flight controls and flight deck technologies for the VA-1X. Additional suppliers have been selected but not yet announced, a representative told Avionics International. No mention of autonomy was made in Vertical’s VA-1X rollout, and development and manufacturing of the aircraft will take place in the United Kingdom.

Visuals of the flight controls and pilot interface for the VA-1X. (Vertical Aerospace)

"With the launch of the VA-1X, we're proud to be taking eVTOL one step closer to mass-market adoption, and supporting the next era of aviation," Michael Cervenka, CEO of Vertical Aerospace said on launch of the design. "At Vertical Aerospace we believe that people should be able to quickly and affordably get from A to B without sacrificing the planet – with the VA-1X, this vision will start to be realized in under five years."

With no physical prototype yet constructed, it will be a challenge for Vertical to gain EASA type certification and production approval for the VA-1X, a complex design with many moving parts, and begin commercial operations by 2024.

Conscious of the timeline and confident in their design, Vertical plans to forgo sub-scale prototyping and move straight to a full-scale build of the aircraft – with testing of individual systems, such as propellers. Vertical also hired Dean Moore, previously Boeing's lead flight test engineer, to direct the aircraft's flight test campaign out of Bristol.

"Multicopters are great, but they are not efficient for longer flights which is where we see the benefit of being in this market," a representative for Vertical Aerospace told Avionics via email, explaining the shift in design philosophy from the Seraph to the VA-1X.

Chinese developer EHang, known for two-passenger ‘216' multicopter design with a limited range of 21 miles, also hinted at development of a longer-range aircraft design on its Aug. 25 Q2 earnings call, which – if fully electric – is likely to be achieved by a more efficient, wing-borne lift-plus-cruise or vectored-thrust concept.

"We expect to roll out more new products, including the one with a flight range of over 100 kilometers, opening up more market opportunities," said Huazhi Hu, founder and CEO of EHang. "We believe 200 percent revenue growth is achievable as our continuous efforts in innovation lead to stronger development."

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EHang joined ICAO’s Ambular project, which is exploring eVTOL use for medical transport, as its first hardware supplier. (Ambular)

Chinese autonomous aerial vehicle-maker EHang has joined Ambular, a volunteer project run by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to explore applications of electric vertical flight for emergency medical response operations.

Launched in 2018, Ambular seeks to develop a prototype aircraft that will be open-sourced, rather than built and sold as a commercial product, as well as to demonstrate that electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can be affordably and responsibly used for emergency medical response purposes. As the project's first hardware partner, EHang will provide rotors and motors, and potentially other necessary hardware, to aid in the design of an aircraft intended to be provided open-source to whomever wants to use it.

Ambular is currently in the early phase of its second design cycle, according to Yuri Fattah, lead guide for the team at ICAO. One academic partner, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is using computational fluid dynamics and a wind tunnel to contribute on the design's aerodynamics, while Concordia University's Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science is working to include a digital twin of the aircraft in its unmanned traffic management simulator.

Ambular’s three expected design cycles. (Ambular)

"Based on the results of those analyses, we will start finalizing the next iteration of the Ambular, which will then be the basis for a ¼-scale prototype that we hope to have ready in the next 4 to 5 years," Fattah told Avionics International. "At that time, we will have a clearer understanding of what other hardware will be provided to the project and by whom."

Fattah added that EHang is currently the project's only hardware contributor, and it has not yet been decided whether Ambular will move on to a full-scale functioning prototype after sub-scale testing. Other partners include Imaginactive, a engineering concept firm owned by Charles Bombardier, and the Second Research Institute of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

"The aim is to demonstrate that the use case – that of an eVTOL ambulance – can be realized in a manner that is affordable and socially responsible (including with respect to the environment)," Fattah said. "That might be a bit of a moonshot but we hope that many issues, both technical and otherwise, will be solved through the collective work on this singular problem. And we definitely believe that we will also have a working prototype that demonstrates that we can reach our goal."

A presentation on Ambular's progress given during last month’s virtual Farnborough International Airshow proposed using four sets of rotors placed around a central cockpit to transport one patient and one paramedic. The next phase of design anticipates accommodating two paramedics and one patient.

The presentation featured an eVTOL aircraft much like EHang's two-seat 216 flying to the scene of an accident, in the middle of a city street, and taking off again to transport the patient to a hospital.

"AI sorts location, assigns vehicle and allocates nearest paramedic. AI also handles the commute which is controlled by a pilot remotely in a command center. The paramedic takes over command if an issue arises," the presentation stated.

Unlike some other “EMS eVTOL” projects, Ambular intends to transport patients to medical facilities as well as move paramedics to the scene of the accident. (Ambular)

Ambular is not the only project touting the potential of eVTOLs to safe critical minutes in emergency response situations. Jump Aero, led by former Terrafugia leader Carl Dietrich, is in the initial stages of designing a commercial eVTOL specifically for emergency medical use. Volocopter is nearing completion of an 18-month study in partnership with the ADAC Air Rescue Foundation to explore medical applications of its VoloCity aircraft.

However, both Jump Aero and Volocopter intend their aircraft solely to bring paramedics to the scene of an accident: not also for transporting a patient to a medical facility, as Ambular proposes.

EHang has previously demonstrated its aircraft's applicability to medical transport by moving supplies a distance of four kilometers in the city of Hezou, along with a proposal to use the 216 for aerial firefighting. The company has also obtained a special flight operations certification from Transport Canada, announced a production facility in Guangdong, and partnered with a number of small European cities to implement urban air mobility.

In January, EHang published a white paper describing its approach to commercializing urban air mobility, with each two-passenger autonomous vehicle capable of generating $352,174 in annual revenue at a profit margin of 39 percent.

However, those figures assume a load factor above 90 percent and 6,000 hours annual utilization, meaning the aircraft is expected to be flying passengers an average of 20 hours per day – despite a stated charge rate of up to 120 minutes. EHang has not yet responded to inquiries from Avionics International regarding these figures and its business case.

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FAA officials described during the latest UAS Symposium sessions next steps for drone integration, including measures for airport security.

Continuing on its path toward greater integration of drones into the national airspace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will soon proceed with testing and evaluation of drone security systems for safe use at airports.

For the moment, however, officials are concerned that drone security systems may cause more harm than good, if used improperly. The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice as well as the FAA and Federal Communications Commission jointly released guidelines – interpreted by some as a warning – for airports and other potential operators of counter-UAS systems, detailing legal and technology considerations.

Though counter-UAS systems have found success in military environments, their use in civilian settings is much more complicated – both in terms of accurate, legal detection of drones as well as mitigating threats without disturbing nearby devices and communications. Distinguishing between authorized and unauthorized drones is also a challenge that the FAA hopes remote identification, with final rulemaking slated for this December, will help address.

"If you don't know who the drone is, who the operator and what the intent is, maybe they're supposed to be there," said Elizabeth Soltys, UAS program advisor to the deputy associate administrator of security and hazardous materials safety. "Carte-blanche use of mitigation across the [national airspace] or in and around airports … is highly inappropriate. So, it's important to be able to discriminate if the operator supposed to be there before we start handing out mitigation."

Speaking during the FAA's virtual UAS Symposium, Soltys said the agency did not advocate expanding mitigation authorities at this time, which is currently restricted to the U.S. Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and Energy.

DHS is taking the lead on efforts to evaluate counter-UAS systems in civilian settings, but the FAA is also authorized to conduct tests specific to airport applications. In the coming weeks, the agency will release a request for information for system vendors to participate in tests at five airports, beginning with Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey, where the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center is located.

Once tests are conducted, the FAA intends to release an advisory circular detailing safe drone detection and mitigation methods, according to John Dermody, director of the agency's Office of Airport Safety and Standards.

That document will establish standards and guidance for safe use of counter-UAS systems by airports and enable the use of federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants for purchasing of these systems when justified.

"There needs to be an FAA standard before [that purchase] would be AIP-eligible," Dermody said. "But there's a few other requirements too. One of them is that the legal airport sponsor would actually need to purchase the system outright. It cannot be a lease arrangement … the airport is responsible for the operation, updates and maintenance to the system. Another requirement is the system needs to be installed on airport property or land that the airport has an easement on."

Demand from airports to install such systems is high, but FAA officials cautioned that even once standards are developed, airports are unlikely to have the legal standing to use systems such as radiofrequency-based detection and mitigation capabilities.

And such systems can't simply be pre-purchased and positioned and placed for federal officials to use if necessary.

"The U.S. government would have to determine from our own legal and policy perspective, including any resource constraints we have, who would actually operate the equipment," Dermody said. "So, there would need to be discussions before an airport operator would think of buying and installing it on who would not only be permitted to use it, but who would actually be able to use it, and have it a commitment in place."

Meanwhile, FAA officials said they intend to expand the Low-Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, through which drone operators can be granted near-real-time access to restricted airspace, from its current 400 participating air traffic control facilities to 530 total facilities. The agency’s Integration Pilot Program, which has been instrumental in creating test cases and data to inform drone-related rulemaking, will expire in October, but the FAA is planning to move forward with a new program to renew focus on enabling operations beyond the operator’s visual line of sight and defining the societal and economic benefits of drones.

“We are focused on more complex, safe and routine BVLOS operations that may rely on a combination of technologies and procedures. We are more focused on performance-based solutions than specific technologies, but detect-and-avoid systems may be part of those solutions,” a representative for the FAA told Avionics. “Those operations are likely to include package delivery, infrastructure inspection and agricultural applications, but they are not limited to those areas.”

In addition to policymaking around remote ID, the FAA has yet to define standards for BVLOS flight. Sources familiar with upcoming policy tell Avionics a few military bases will soon be added to the LAANC system as well.

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