Honeywell and Supernal, Hyundai’s advanced air mobility (AAM) company, have collaborated to create a ground control station for Supernal’s remotely piloted advanced air mobility system. In an announcement at NBAA, Honeywell said the software will first be used in the flight test program for Supernal’s aircraft program, but it’s designed to be used in real-world operations including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). “Depending on the needs of an operator, Honeywell’s ground control station technology could be scaled to manage hundreds or even thousands of vehicles across a series of stations,” Honeywell said in a news release.
Although much of the publicity about AAM centers on the vehicles, their control infrastructure is fundamental to their operation. “Supernal and Honeywell are committed to co-creating an AAM ecosystem to ensure the industry can scale in the coming decades, and ground control stations will be key to that ecosystem’s success,” the news release said. Supernal intends its vehicle to be ready for commercial operations in 2028.
I still feel a bit uneasy about the idea of thousands of unmanned drones zooming about in a small area. I just keep thinking that one hiccup in one will throw the whole system out of whack. It sort of reminds me of an old movie with possibly Bruce Willis, and I think of my parents condo on the 15th floor…with a drone of some sort just hovering off of their balcony waiting for them to stop arguing about which grocery store they plan on first visiting.
Just had a bright idea. They should test this in Taiwan and have it ready by 2027.