Autonomous flight

Air taxis like this Ehang 216 could soon be flying over the skies of Seville, Spain

Aircraft

EHang flies into Spain to build air taxi test infrastructure

Back in January, China's EHang aced the first flight in the US of its two-seat autonomous air taxi. Now the company has agreed to develop the first Urban Air Mobility pilot program in Seville, Spain.

Ehang flounder Hu Huazhi goes for a ride in the 216 autonomous air taxi

Aircraft

A closer look at the Ehang 216 pilotless air taxi

Earlier this month, Ehang took to the air with its Autonomous Aerial Vehicle for the first flight in the US. Specs on the 216 two-passenger pilotless air taxi were scant at the time, but let's take a closer look now.

Aircraft

Ehang's pilotless air taxi aces first flight demo in the US

Ehang's Autonomous Aerial Vehicle – a multi-rotor drone capable of carrying people – made its first US appearance at CES 2016, and now the company has demonstrated the first flight in the US of its two-seater autonomous air taxi.

Hyundai and Uber team on the S-A1 at CES 2020

Urban Transport

Hyundai unveils new Uber air taxi design

Hyundai has used the grand platform of CES 2020 to unveil its take on the future of urban mobility. At the heart of its plans is its S-A1, an electric flying taxi developed with Uber.

The Luna demonstration helicopter in full flight

Aircraft

Modified commercial helicopter makes world-first autonomous flight

There is no shortage of aviation startups out to build self-flying aircraft from the ground up, but California-based Skyryse has adopted a slightly different approach, with flight technologies designed to be fitted to existing helicopters.

Drones

Autonomous drones go to the races for $1 million in cash

Drone racing with human pilots at the controls has quickly evolved from an underground hobby to a fully fledged professional sport. But for its 2019 season, the Drone Racing League introduced a new kind of competition.

The Vision G2 business jet can now land itself in an emergency

Aircraft

The business jet that can land itself in an emergency

An important step towards autonomous aviation was taken today, as Cirrus Aviation announced "Safe Return" functionality for its G2 Vision jet, which will find the nearest airstrip, alert authorities and land itself in an emergency.

Skydio doesn’t go into specifics on things like charging times for the Dock concept, but is keen to emphasize its simplicity

Drones

Skydio's Dock allows its self-piloted drone to also recharge itself

Skydio released an impressive self-flying camera drone in early October that may well take autonomous flight to a whole new level, and in a new purpose-built base station it could soon have the self-charging capabilities to go with it.

Bell Textron's APT 70 cargo drone has completed its first autonomous test flight

Drones

Bell's eVTOL cargo drone makes first autonomous flight

Bell has joined the cargo drone space with its APT 70, which has just nailed its first autonomous test flight.

Aircraft

Volocopter introduces its most powerful flying taxi yet

The Volocopter has been given another makeover, resulting in a rounder, cleaner design the company says is the most powerful Volocopter yet.

The autonomous racing drone developed at TU Delft weighs just 72 g

Drones

World's smallest autonomous racing drone created by Dutch scientists

Scientists at TU Delft have developed what is claimed to be the smallest autonomous racing drone on the planet, a feat that involved some serious innovations in the algorithms that control its flight path.

The PAV utilizes four sets of rotors for vertical takeoffs and landings, along with a rear propeller for forward flight

Aircraft

Boeing VTOL air vehicle prototype makes first flight

Given how many groups are now developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, it shouldn't come as a surprise that aerospace giant Boeing has been working on some of its own. This Tuesday, one of the prototypes made its first flight.