In the last few years, we are hearing more and more about the concept of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Many projects and prototypes are being developed simultaneously. It seems that the “flying car” is “just around the corner”.
The aim of this series of articles is to shed some light on this new industrial sector that is now opening up to us, to try to identify its particular characteristics and needs so that we can outline the challenges that the current aeronautical industry faces in order to enter this market.
It is necessary to understand that due to the current delay in the new generation of commercial aircraft (precisely because of the transitional phase in terms of sustainability and changing transport needs), the development of the AAM sector can be a kind of “bridge”, helping us to prepare and orientate ourselves towards the needs of the new aeronautical market environment that is unfolding.
Air transportation system:
The AAM shall be understood as an “air transportation system” to transports individuals and goods between points using aircrafts even being piloted, remotely piloted or autonomous. In order to reduce the dependency of airports, the vertical take-off and landing is one of the basics. Additionally, to be in line with the current environmental requirements, should be powered by electric or hybrid driven propulsion, in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
AAM seeks to integrate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and sustainable aircraft like electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOLs) into the countries airspaces aiming to solve the increasing transportation needs in a sustainable way.
Even reducing the dependency from Airports, those platforms require the development of the physical infrastructure of vertiports as well as the evolution of the digital infrastructure of a highly automated framework of operations.
In the concept of AAM, we need to consider different solutions including transporting persons and cargo above the traffic within a city (Intra-City); regional air mobility (Inter-City) focused more on connecting suburbs, villages, and small towns in the countryside as well as islands; light cargo deliveries (mainly e-commerce) together with the use in private/recreational and public services as police, emergencies, etc.
I. Background of the Air Movility
A. Urban Air Mobility (UAM)
For much of the 20th century, rapid population growth and the increase in the number of cars in cities created major mobility challenges. Increased traffic, congestion, air pollution and road accidents became growing problems affecting citizens’ quality of life and slowing economic development.
Faced with these challenges, cities implemented traditional solutions, such as expanding road infrastructure, building more parking and increasing public transport. While these measures partially alleviated some problems, they also gave rise to new challenges, such as uncontrolled urban sprawl and continued reliance on private transport.
Over time, it became clear that traditional solutions were not sustainable in the long term. A new vision and approach were needed that would take advantage of emerging technological advances to address urban mobility problems in a more efficient, sustainable, and safe manner.
B. Regional Air Mobility (RAM)
The decline in regional aviation has been two-pronged. Firstly, the strong emergence of low-cost carriers, especially at second and third tier airports, has pushed numerous regional airlines out of the market. Secondly, the traditional regional carrier business model — high maintenance costs, high fixed unit costs such as aircraft asset depreciation due to their low utilization, high variable unit costs such as fuel burn and high landing and handling costs for smaller aircraft.
Porsche Consulting said advancements in areas such as battery-electric powered motors and AI-based flight planning could reverse the trend which has seen many regional aviation carriers cease operations in the last decade.
C. Cargo delivery (UAV solutions)
E-commerce has exploded in recent years, and the demand for faster and more efficient delivery methods has increased. Just think about how many packages and parcels we are ordering in a typical month, and now think about your street, your town, your county… the logistical network that exists to ensure your goods are sourced, dispatched, and delivered overnight in most cases, is truly mind-blowing. Drones could potentially revolutionize the way we receive our packages as they are faster, more efficient, and have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional delivery methods.
Companies such as Amazon, Google, and UPS are already investing in drone technology and testing their suitability for industrial and domestic delivery services. In December 2013, during a research project of Deutsche Post AG subsidiary DHL, a quantity of medicine weighing less than a kilogram, was delivered via a prototype drone, pointing towards disaster relief as the first industry to potentially adopt this delivery method.
D. Private/recreational and public services
The system being developed to cover above listed missions are suitable for private use or for use in public services with very few modifications. It is quite evident that UAMs can be transformed into a very efficient platform for transporting authorities, police surveillance, ambulance, etc. The same happens with RAM or even with the cargo delivery UAV’s.
II. Origin of Advanced Mobility Solutions
The rapid progress of technology over the last decades has been fundamental to the development of Advanced Mobility Solutions. The miniaturization of sensors, increased computing power, connectivity and the development of more efficient batteries have opened up new possibilities for mobility.
The early stages of the development of Advanced Mobility Solutions focused on the electrification of vehicles and the implementation of smarter public transport systems. Hybrid and electric vehicles began to gain popularity, and some cities started to implement public transport systems with real-time information and smart cards for payment.
Key concepts in the capabilities of this type of platforms are the connectivity, electrification, automation and sharing (carsharing and ridesharing). The convergence of all those concepts has been the foundation of Advanced Mobility Solutions. Connectivity enabled real-time data collection and analysis, which improved transport planning and management. Electrification reduced dependence on fossil fuels and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Automation paved the way for the development of autonomous vehicles and sharing fostered more efficient use of mobility resources.
In short, the background for Advanced Mobility Solutions lies in the urban mobility challenges of the past, which led to the search for more innovative and sustainable solutions. Technological development has been the key driver for the emergence of these solutions, and the combination of connectivity, electrification, automation, and sharing has been central to their evolution. This background has paved the way for the creation of a smarter, more efficient, and environmentally friendly mobility ecosystem.
III. Some History of the evolution of Advanced Mobility Solutions
The concept of “advanced air mobility” is not in itself a new concept, and its origins can be traced back to the “flying car”. This idea has been in the heads of technologists for decades and we have seen it in many works of science fiction. Let us take a moment to look back at the first experiences:
- General Motors Firebird I (1953): This was a prototype vehicle developed by General Motors, featuring a futuristic, aerodynamic design. Although not a ‘flying car’ in the literal sense, it incorporated advanced technology for its time, such as a gas turbine engine and fibreglass body.
- Aerocar (1949-1970): Designed by Moulton Taylor, the Aerocar was a car with the ability to fly using retractable wings. It could transform into a small two-seater airplane and reach a cruising speed of up to 112 mph (180 km/h) in the air.
- VZ-9 Avrocar (1959): Developed by the Canadian company Avro Aircraft Limited for the US military, the VZ-9 Avrocar was a kind of “flying saucer” that was proposed as a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. However, the project was cancelled due to stability and performance problems.
- Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) in Morgantown, West Virginia (1975): Although not a flying car, this project deserves mention as one of the first automated driverless transportation systems. It used small automated electric vehicles to transport passengers individually or in small groups along guided routes in the city.
- Moller Skycar M400 (2003): The Skycar is a more recent example of an attempt to develop a “flying car”. Designed by Paul Moller, it is a VTOL vehicle with the ability to take off and land vertically. However, it faced significant technical and regulatory challenges, making it difficult to commercialize.
Summary:
Importantly, many of these early projects faced technical and safety challenges, which limited their viability and large-scale adoption. However, they have served as starting points for the research and development of advanced mobility technologies in use today. As technology continues to evolve, “flying car” concepts and other innovative approaches to advanced mobility may continue to be the subject of interest and exploration in the mobility industry.
In the next article, we will review the key technologies sustaining the advanced mobility solutions, the legal environment and the benefits and challenges of advanced mobility solutions.
