Parallax Advanced Research is facilitating the growth of Advanced Air Mobility
It’s a catchall phrase that only begins to define the size, scope and promise of an emerging industry. Its impact is already being felt and is being used by first responders as well as our military. And it often operates under the radar of our National Airspace System (NAS).
Thanks to one organization, Ohio and the Dayton area are on the cutting edge of the new technologies and entrepreneurial efforts that make up Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Headquartered in Beavercreek, Parallax Advanced Research, a nonprofit research institute affiliated with the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) in Cleveland, is working to bring new and evolving AAM technologies to market while ensuring public acceptance and safety.
The goal is to transform AAM technology as it applies to airborne travel, cargo transport, and urban and rural infrastructure.
“When I look at the emerging AAM market, it reminds me of the golden age of aviation in the 1920s and ‘30s,” says Scott Swanson, business unit director – CEREBRO/Unmanned Aerial Systems. “Coming out of World War I, there was an emergence of new technologies. Everyone was building something new in their garage, something that they hoped would become the next big thing in aviation. We are seeing that in the AAM market today.”
Which can be both exciting, but also problematic, especially when it comes to public acceptance and safety. So where do we stand today?
“AAM is a technical term, which has been evolving for a number of years,” says Bob Tanner, a senior executive with Parallax, who serves as executive director of Aerospace Partnerships where he leads innovation engagement strategies for aviation and aerospace. “When all this technology started, it basically involved UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems or drones), but now everyone uses AAM as a catchall, including ordinary people and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), who look at the term as now including eVTOLs (electronic vertical takeoff and landing), which includes air taxis and such.”
Drones have already become important for both the military and first responders. Indeed, many technological advancements are coming out of the military.
“They are, in many ways, leading the pack,” says Swanson, when asked about recent developments. “Our military is very forward thinking when it comes to using new technology in battlefield scenarios. They also can self-certify aircraft. They are willing to take a greater risk than the FAA—not that they produce dangerous aircraft, but they only need to weigh development against military needs and utility.”
When it comes to civilian and commercial usage, there are obviously more numerous issues to consider—the first two being safety and public acceptance of the technology.
“It is a technology that first responders have embraced, and its use is growing,” says Tanner. “An example is that we are seeing drones used in wildfire management and disaster recovery. The public has demonstrated that it has confidence in the use of drones for these applications.”
Now you add in the emerging use of eVTOL as passenger transport, with vehicles like the aircraft Joby Aviation will soon produce at its new facility at the Dayton International Airport.
“And everybody is preparing for that,” says Tanner. “The FAA is working with the industry on certification of vehicles, so it’s not a question of if but when they will be used as passenger transportation. The FAA and industry are testing these vehicles to ensure their operational safety.””
One of the biggest issues is the implementation of safety regulations. Drones and eVTOL vehicles often operate under the surveillance radars of the traditional NAS, which is highly dependent on radar air traffic control and human pilots.
“Our traditional aviation network today relies on a pilot to see and avoid other aircraft when you are in an environment that is not under radar control,” says Swanson. “Drones may be unmanned or operated from the ground, so you lose traditional pilot/eyes in the cockpit. There needs to be a lot of transition with new technologies that allow you to have an equivalent level of safety the same that you would have with a pilot in a cockpit, whether you are doing it autonomously or remotely.”
That means a completely new infrastructure of aviation safety must be built to accommodate the growth of drones and eVTOL systems. Ensuring performance and safety beyond line-of-sight guidance is the ultimate objective.
Tanner has been deeply involved in the evolution of AAM, assisting state and local governments with the development of policy and legislative strategy to facilitate alignment with existing and planned federal guidance regulations. As a part of these efforts, Tanner and the Parallax team assist the industry, academia and government with the planning, integration and demonstration of AAM-related technologies to generate safety data that will ultimately enable commercial operations and the integration of these new vehicles into the NAS.
As an example, through the Ohio Federal Research Network, a program managed by Parallax in collaboration with Ohio State University and funded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Parallax has enabled many new UAS technologies to be part of demonstration projects that provide data to FAA and NASA to support their goal of ensuring safe integration of AAM vehicles into the NAS.
Some of the OFRN-funded AAM technologies include low altitude air traffic management systems for drone operations, detect and avoid sensor technologies, low altitude weather sensors, and other critical digital technologies.
While safety and regulatory issues will provide guardrails for future growth, it’s equally, if not even more, important to ensure the growth of the industry from the innovation stage through actual production of AAM components, electronic controls and aircraft.
Enter Anthony Gillespie, director, Technology-Based Economic Development at Parallax and OAI and program lead of The Center for Advanced Air Mobility Initiative (CAAM-I). CAAM-I is designed to accelerate manufacturers’ access to and engagement with unmanned vehicle production and electric vehicle transformation.
“We have developed a three-pronged approach for CAAM-I, working with small- to medium-sized companies to advanced technologies in the AAM space,” says Gillespie. “We have a program through the Ohio Federal Research Network to help advance the research of Ohio’s federal and state partners technologies through the collaboration of industry, academia and government stakeholders. We also have another program that we manage called the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership program where we work with small businesses to advance their technologies to meet government and commercial needs.”
Another CAAM-I initiative is focused on education opportunities and training to help companies to transition or scale up into this sector, while helping others maintain their research programs and manufacturing capabilities within the AAM space, which means not only the aircraft, but components like battery and electric motor development.
“This goes back to what might be our biggest area of focus, which is supply chain development for AAM. This area also plays a very big role in reshoring efforts,” Gillespie says.
The AAM industry needs a pipeline of components.
“That is why we are working with industry, university, and government partners to reach out to these partners,” says Gillespie. “We also are reaching out to partners in businesses owned by under-served minorities and women to create opportunities for them to be involved in the AAM space, which will have a positive economic impact as well.”
