INDUSTRY News
Commercial eVTOL aircraft need safety records equal to commercial aviation
Early electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger aircraft used in commercial operations should have safety records equal to those in the commercial aviation sector. So says Horizon Aircraft, the aerospace engineering company that developed Cavorite X5, the world’s fi rst eVTOL aircraft that fl ies most of its mission like a normal aircraft. “There is much debate around the safety
requirements of eVTOL aircraft, with some saying they should be twice as safe as driving a car or on a par with helicopters. The safety bar must be set much higher so that potential passengers, regulators and other stakeholders have the highest possible levels of confi dence in the fi rst eVTOL aircraft. This is essential to the sector reaching its full potential,” said Brandon Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Horizon Aircraft. The Horizon Aircraft Cavorite X5 is fundamentally a normal aircraft with an additional eVTOL capability that adds safety and operational features. Flying 98% of its mission in a confi guration exactly like a normal aircraft means discussions surrounding certifi cation can start from a well-understood baseline, reducing risks.
Cavorite is the world’s first eVTOL aircraft that flies most of its mission like a normal aircraft
Horizon Aircraft says the global spotlight on the fi rst air taxis will be suffi ciently intense that any accidents and safety risks would set the industry back years in terms of passenger confi dence and regulatory approval. In late February this year, Astro
Aerospace, a global leader in eVTOL aerial vehicles and drones, entered
into an agreement to acquire Horizon Aircraft, with the transaction expected to close before this summer. Astro is a pioneer in the eVTOL market, and has developed one of the safest and most effi cient eVTOLs in the world. In 2018, the Company’s drone Elroy was one of the fi rst to seamlessly fl y with people on board.
techUK publishes landmark digital twins technology report
The technology trade association techUK launched a landmark report called ‘Unlocking value across the UK’s digital twin ecosystem’ to encourage the full take up of the digital twins technology in the UK. Launched alongside the UK’s National Digital Twin programme, the report aims to reach consensus around the terminology used to describe digital twins, the principles of digital twin adoption and the system-level benefi ts associated with digital twinning. “This report aims to set out strategic
recommendations for industry and government as to how the UK’s digital twin ecosystem can progress and evolve long term, so that we can see and support this technological innovation to its full capacity,” said Susanne Baker, techUK Associate Director for Climate, Environment and Sustainability. In the report, techUK describes a digital
8 March 2021 | Automation
twin as: “A relevant, virtual representation of the state and behaviour of something physical or non-physical with a functional output in the real world.” Building on this defi nition, the report outlines a series of recommendations for government and innovation bodies to level up innovation and investment in digital twins and fully exploit the UK’s budding expertise in this technology: • Digital twins should be viewed as a means of dramatically enhancing the UK’s capacity to deliver on net zero 2050 objectives, addressing social inequality and accelerating R&D-led growth; • Ten-year staggered programme of public investment to £200m, focusing on digital twin innovation, adoption and the take-up of the technologies, which would come as part of a broader programme of investment that would also enhance the UK’s research, skills, infrastructure and
core engineering capabilities; • The government should trigger the adoption of digital twins across the UK by funding the development of an online digital twin procurement portal targeted at decision makers in industry and academia. techUK says that successfully following
these recommendations would lead to an enhanced delivery capacity in reaching the UK’s Net Zero objectives, reducing social inequalities and accelerating R&D growth. “Digital twins have the potential to support the UK to deliver on Net Zero 2050 objectives, support the reduction of social inequalities and drive R&D-led growth. However, the lack of consensus around how digital twins can be leveraged and why digital twins can drive better outcomes – for our people, economy, society and the planet – means that the full benefi ts of this technology are yet to be realised,” said Baker.
automationmagazine.co.uk
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