Important Innovations

  Joby Aviation's e-VTOL Being Tested by NASA                                                                      Source:  Joby and NASA NASA's Ultimate Goal:  Safely Accelerate Use of Air Taxis NASA has started testing a future air taxi for use to ferry passengers and cargo, particularly in big, congested cities.  The vehicle is a six rotor, all electric e-VTOL (electric, vertical take off and landing vehicle) developed by startup company Joby Aviation of California.  This particular aircraft is designed to be as quiet as possible in order to operate in busy cities and relieve traffic congestion without a lot of noise pollution. Joby plans to put its flying taxis into commercial operation in 2024.  NASA's ultimate goal in initiating its testing program is to safely accelerate the use of flying taxis in the US. Air Noise Pollution Tests The tests are being conducted by NASA's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) group, which has launched a national campaign for the development

Invented by South Korean Doctors Source:  Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials  Collects Patient COVID Samples Doctors and researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials have invented a remote-controlled robot - the KIMM robot - that performs and collects COVID-19 tests from the noses of potential patients.  For medical personnel, there is no direct contact with the patients.  The robot performs the tests and collects the samples by being remotely controlled by a doctor.  This system reduces the risk of exposure to COVID for the medical staff. Parallel Caregiving The system is based on parallel caregiving where a doctor in one room tells the robot what action to take.  The doctor and patient are connected by audio and video and stay in constant contact.  This is part of a growing trend of robots being put on the front lines of the fight against COVID.  In Boston, Spot robots were used to screen patients remotely using iPads that enabled doctors to sc

FAA Re-writing the Rules Source:  NASA Supersonic Concept Flying Beyond the Speed of Sound At the Paris Air Show, FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell said the United States is changing the regulations to enable testing and the reintroduction of supersonic flights for passengers.  This is a major milestone for the return of civilian supersonic flights in the United States. New Generations of SST For the flying public and aviation enthusiasts, this is exciting news because there are many innovative supersonic aircraft projects well underway.  Companies like Boom Technologies and Aerion, as well as NASA, are working on next generation SST aircraft to replace the Concorde which ended flights in 2003.  The FAA's plans will give these companies a more efficient process to make SST travel a reality again. Elwell added the FAA and US Department of Transportation are committed to safe and environmentally sound R&D of supersonic aircraft.