Autonomy is fast becoming a popular concept for ground transportation, but the USAF wants to start bringing it to the sky, and soon. With their new R&D program, Agility Prime, the Air Force is ramping up efforts to make the use of commercial air taxis a reality by year 2023, all while prioritizing security and safety.
They are calling them Orbs - vehicles that utilize electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), and by working closely with “industry, investor, and government communities,” they are able to gather as much technological, regulatory and safety resources possible to speed up development, surpassing all previous global, private and corporate efforts so far. Uber has even stepped up with its own hybrid-electric design, the Bell Nexus copter, which it plans to test in real-time by 2023 in Dallas and Los Angeles, but they face a major roadblock once regulations for widespread use become the focal point. Perhaps the Air Force will smoothly pave the way, though, and we’ll finally have access to a variety of urban air travel options that we can trust.
So far, testing is taking place with a variety of design prototypes, which you can watch from their website. Their goal is to have vehicles that are cheap to own and maintain, quiet and safe, and can transport multiple people for purposes of commercial transportation, disaster and rescue missions, and logistics.
Check out their brief below for a quick insight into this awesome venture.
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Until next time…
Maintenance regularly; drive often.
All photos/videos by me, unless otherwise noted.
Life’s obstacles are more entertaining with a sports car.™
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