Photo: Rotor via VerticalMag
Accidents like the Kobe Bryant tragedy reinforce many people’s belief that autonomous technology could eliminate the pitfalls of human error in flight operations. It’s still a long road ahead, but small steps add a little bit more safety and efficiency to airplanes and helicopters.
Don’t be fooled by the undignified name of Birdy McBirdface. Behind it, there’s a potential hero, in the shape of a firefighting helicopter that can be operated remotely, with no people onboard.
We’re not talking about a robotic chopper built from scratch, but a highly-advanced operating system that turns helicopters into autonomous machines, with pilots tele-operating them from the ground.
The system is called CloudPilot and was developed by the team of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) engineers at a young company called Rotor. These guys recently completed the first flight of an uncrewed firefighting helicopter, equipped with CloudPilot.
The prototype helicopter, officially known as R22S6–01 (and, unofficially, Birdy McBirdface) is based on a Robinson R22. This is a light chopper intended for training and agricultural work. Operating in Rotor’s uncrewed configuration, it’s able to carry 400 lbs (181 kg) of cargo for more than three hours.
The test took place earlier this month, at the NUAIR test site, where the prototype operated in low hover, remaining within the visual line of sight of the pilot. Several flights were conducted in order to test flight controls, engine controls, and the teleoperation systems, with the longest one lasting more than three minutes. Throughout the entire time, a pilot in the ground control station maneuvered the helicopter in real-time.
In the future, aircraft fitted with the CloudPilot technology are expected to be easily operated from anywhere in the world. The system combines the power of a proprietary VR (virtual reality) technology with that of communication services such as StarLink, which enables high-speed data transfer over long distances.
The R22S6-01 is one of the two Rotor identical prototypes that were certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for development and field testing.
This initial successful flight will be followed by field tests next year.
We’re not talking about a robotic chopper built from scratch, but a highly-advanced operating system that turns helicopters into autonomous machines, with pilots tele-operating them from the ground.
The system is called CloudPilot and was developed by the team of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) engineers at a young company called Rotor. These guys recently completed the first flight of an uncrewed firefighting helicopter, equipped with CloudPilot.
The prototype helicopter, officially known as R22S6–01 (and, unofficially, Birdy McBirdface) is based on a Robinson R22. This is a light chopper intended for training and agricultural work. Operating in Rotor’s uncrewed configuration, it’s able to carry 400 lbs (181 kg) of cargo for more than three hours.
The test took place earlier this month, at the NUAIR test site, where the prototype operated in low hover, remaining within the visual line of sight of the pilot. Several flights were conducted in order to test flight controls, engine controls, and the teleoperation systems, with the longest one lasting more than three minutes. Throughout the entire time, a pilot in the ground control station maneuvered the helicopter in real-time.
In the future, aircraft fitted with the CloudPilot technology are expected to be easily operated from anywhere in the world. The system combines the power of a proprietary VR (virtual reality) technology with that of communication services such as StarLink, which enables high-speed data transfer over long distances.
The R22S6-01 is one of the two Rotor identical prototypes that were certified by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for development and field testing.
This initial successful flight will be followed by field tests next year.
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