Aiming to take autonomous flight to the next level, the U.S. Air Force has struck a deal with Reliable Robotics to turn multi-engine transport jets into robotic aircraft that handle all aspects of flight themselves, from taxiing to flying. I researched how to make it work. landing.
For understandable reasons, we tend to think of the military strictly in terms of combat units that exist to burn out on the battlefield. So, like any giant supply chain, we have the occasional shootout at one end.
A key component of the United States and its global military commitments is its fleet of transport aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. These provide the U.S. Air Force with the ability to rapidly deliver soldiers and their equipment anywhere in the world and keep them supplied indefinitely.
However, this is a very expensive feature to achieve and maintain, and often means sending air crews to dangerous areas where they may encounter enemy anti-aircraft weapons. We also need a lot of pilots, which are not cheap and are always in short supply.
To combat this, the Air Force is looking to automate existing freighters using Reliable Robotics. The idea is not new, but applying this technology to large multi-engine jet transports to fly military resupply missions adds an additional level of complexity.
If the concept works, the Air Force will be able to improve cargo missions without having to train pilots or build new aircraft. It also introduces a new level of potential safety. artificial intelligence Automated flight computers will be better able to respond to some emergencies, thanks to their ability to instantly calculate alternate flight paths that human pilots must rely on intuition.
The new contract aims to build an autonomous flight system that can handle every aspect of flight, from taxiing to takeoff and landing, requiring only remote monitoring from humans. It also enables more precise navigation and more robust flight control, as well as improves the ability to manage the aircraft in varying environmental conditions.
Dr. David O’Brien, Senior Vice President, Government Solutions, Reliable Robotics, Ret. “Our vision is to provide remote piloting capabilities for a range of aircraft. It’s a step.”
sauce: Robotics you can trust
