When you buy through connection on our site , we may earn an affiliate charge . Here ’s how it work .
NASAsuccessfully performed a series of trial escape with two self-governing helicopters to check the systems that could one daylight be used in pilotless air taxis , the agency has break .
During the flights in October 2023 , ceremonious - looking helicopters flew autonomously over Long Island Sound , Connecticut , NASA said in astatementon Jan. 25 . The psychometric test aimed to measure how unlike NASA - developed self-reliant flying software system modules work in practice .
NASA tested crucial automation software ahead of its use in future self-flying vertical-takeoff air taxis.
This was a key milestone in acollaborationto design autonomous trajectory software between NASA , the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) and Sikorsky , a foot soldier of Lockheed Martin that work up the helicopters .
finally , NASA envisions the software element being used in future pilotless melodic phrase taxis . Although air travel taxis seem futuristic , the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) isdevising rules and regulationsto guide the growing of this new exile method — targeting a2028 launching datefor the first commercial-grade routes in the U.S.
pertain : futurist vertical - takeoff melody taxi could impinge on the market place by 2028
The two helicopters — a modified S-76B and a bombastic OPV Black Hawk — were debase with five package modules that controlled various aspects of sovereign flight of stairs . Each fomite was already equip with a established automate trajectory system .
The modified helicopters underwent 12 successful test flights plow 70 unlike flight of steps trial maneuvers , and each generated more than 30 flight hours .
During the tests , the helicopters were immerse in a virtual world and follow several planned routes while trying to avoid more than 150 virtual aircraft " traveling " along virtual escape plan .
The computer software module on board dynamically adjusted altitude , speed and way to forfend collisions with the virtual aircraft ’s flight plans as well as with the other test helicopter .
— This futuristic flying car demand zero piloting skills
— young assault and battery technical school will slash charging times and encourage EV cooking stove before the decennary is out
— Is an galvanic railcar better for the planet ?
prophylactic pilot and researchers were also on add-in each aircraft and monitored the whirlybird ' performance using especially design tablet that let them supervise the flight of steps course options the software choose whenever it involve to course - correct .
The pilots dog how well the helicopters responded to software program - initiate control , while NASA researchers valuate how the dissimilar computer software components make for together to control and fly the aircraft safely . The tests also assessed how well people interact with the autonomous systems , with the safety pilots and researchers also monitored to see how they responded to the information the tablet supplied .
" These effort show that we can safely integrate cognitive operation to vanish the aircraft using several engineering in one navigation tablet,“Adam Yingling , NASA task lead , say in the statement .
Electric vertical spoof and landing place ( eVTOL ) vehicles , like the fresh announcedSupernal SA-2 vehicle , could one day fill up the role of zephyr taxi — perchance using these of late tested automated flight of steps systems . These electric vehicles are by and large quieter than ceremonious helicopters , have a larger rider capacity and are more zip efficient .
