NASA tests self-flying capabilities for air taxis

NASA has achieved a pivotal milestone in making self-flying or autonomous air taxis a reality. Researchers at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia recently flew multiple drones beyond visual line of sight, referred to as NOVO-BVLOS, with no visual observer.

From takeoff and following a predetermined route to landing, the drones operated entirely without human intervention and successfully flew around obstacles and each other.

"Flying the vehicles beyond visual line of sight, where neither the vehicle nor the airspace is monitored using direct human observation, demonstrates years of research into automation and safety systems, and required specific approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA to complete," said Lou Glaab, branch head for the aeronautics systems engineering branch at NASA Langley.

In addition, NASA is also testing elements of automation technology using helicopters, which will help the agency mature the autonomy well before self-flying air taxis are integrated into the skies.

The researchers conducted multiple flights using purchased ALTA 8 Uncrewed Aircraft Systems.

The software loaded onto the small drones performed airspace communications, flight path management, avoidance with other vehicles, and more skills needed to operate in a busy airspace.

The drones took off and landed at the City Environment for Testing Autonomous Integrated Navigation test range. The flight was monitored from the Remote Operations for Autonomous Missions UAS Operations Center at Langley Research Center.

One of the technologies used in the test was ICAROURS, short for Integrated Configurable Architecture for Reliable Operations of Unmanned Systems, a software that provides an autonomous detect-and-avoid function and is part of the overall system to maintain "well clear" from other air traffic.

Another technology used was NASA’s Safe2Ditch system, which allows the vehicle to observe the ground below and make an autonomous decision on the safest place to land in the event of an in-flight emergency.

The High Density Vertiplex project was specifically focused on testing and evaluating where these future vehicles will take off and land at high frequency, called vertiports, or vertiplexes, for multiple vertiports near each other.