Boeing has announced its selection of 10 designs that will go on to compete for a $1 million prize to be awarded next year in its GoFly competition, which aims to inspire innovators to create a VTOL “personal flying device” that can safely be used by anyone, anywhere. Boeing chose the 10 finalists from almost 3,000 entries from 95 countries. Six of the winning entries originated in the U.S.; the others came from Latvia, the U.K., the Netherlands and Japan. “These innovators are reshaping human mobility and will change the world,” said Gwen Lighter, CEO of the GoFly project. The winning teams, who were selected based on a written report, will each be awarded $20,000.
To win the competition, the prototype must be able to safely carry a person for 20 miles without refueling or recharging, with VTOL or near-VTOL takeoff and landing capability. The winning Phase I designs incorporate a variety of ideas. Harmony, from a team at Texas A&M University, features an open cockpit, with the passenger standing upright above a pair of rotors. Aviabike, from the Aeroxo LV team, resembles a motorcycle, with the passenger sitting astride, amid an array of 16 ducted fans. The competition now goes on to Phase II, which is open to the 10 finalists and also, until Dec. 8, to new entrants. The $1 million winner will be chosen in a fly-off to be held in October 2019. All 10 winning designs can be seen here.
