A patent filing for Alef Aeronautics’ Model A flying car peels back the curtain on its inner workings. [Courtesy: Alef Aeronautics]
Key Takeaways:
Innovators are pushing the boundaries of advanced air mobility with concepts like Alef Aeronautics' transforming flying car and Beta Air's simplified eVTOL flight control systems.
Patents are addressing key infrastructure and safety challenges for drones, including Istanbul University's modular urban landing platforms and Rhombus Systems' low-altitude radar for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
Drones are being envisioned for diverse service applications, such as AT&T's autonomous mobile 5G towers and Toyota's roadside assistance, complemented by Kia's innovative drone-based charging system for air taxis during takeoff.
Much of the action in the advanced air mobility space happens behind closed doors. Unless you’re friends with an Amazon Prime Air engineer or a U.S. military flight tester, the inner workings of modern flying innovation are opaque at best.
But every now and then, innovators give us a peek behind the curtain—if you know where to look.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
