In order for this urban air mobility (UAM) to work, we have to have a holistic approach to the whole thing. Developing safe and reliable aircraft that can take us where we want to go in a faster and more convenient way is not enough. We also have to come up with a smart way to manage everything that’s going on in the sky. That is exactly what German eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) developer Volocopter is proposing and is now offering a video explanation of its entire ecosystem.
You may be familiar with Volocopter for its highly advertised eVTOL aircraft. The company’s working on three such flying machines: the short-range VoloCity air taxi, a two-seater that offers ranges of up to 21 miles (35 km) and speeds of up to 68 mph (110 kph), the fixed-wing VoloConnect, a long-range eVTOL that offers four seats, ranges of over 60 miles (95 km), and speeds of 155 mph (249 kph), and the heavy-lift VoloDrone, a utility drone with a payload capacity of up to 440 lb (200 kg). The latter boasts ranges of up to approximately 25 miles (40 km).
That’s the “hardware” part of the ecosystem. But all these aircraft have to be carefully monitored and controlled, especially since they’ll most likely have to share the sky with flying machines from other companies, which means it can get pretty crowded up there. To that end, Volocopter has teamed up with Lufthansa Industry Solutions to develop what is described as the world’s first fully integrated digital operations platform for advanced air mobility. The idea was unveiled two years ago, but now the two partners have started working on actually creating the VoloIQ.
VoloIQ is based on Microsoft Azure and you can think of it as Volocopter’s UAM operating system for all its aircraft, be it air taxis or cargo drones. This digital platform boasts of replacing 20 legacy systems and can handle everything from flight planning and monitoring to booking, commercial scheduling, battery management, and the optimization of charging times.
It connects a wide range of data and stores it in a single place, creating a secure source of information. The VoloIQ merges sensor data from both other aircraft and the ground to anticipate weather conditions and the presence of any obstacles such as smaller drones, birds, and so on.
To sum it up, VoloIQ aims to provide a seamless experience for all involved, from passengers to operators.
This recently shared video from Volocopter explains how the VoloIQ works and it does in a way that anyone can understand.
Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars. Full profile
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