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Autonomous Flight Crosses US
18 Sep
Summary
- Joby's autonomous aircraft flew over 3,100 miles without a pilot.
- The flight demonstrated autonomy tech for defense and cargo.
- A second business model beyond air taxis is showcased.
Joby Aviation recently demonstrated its advanced autonomy technology with an unprecedented cross-country flight. An aircraft equipped with this system traveled more than 3,100 miles across the United States without any human pilot intervention.
The flight encompassed autonomous taxiing, takeoffs, navigation, and landings, all remotely supervised from Joby's California headquarters and Shaw Air Force Base. This achievement signifies Joby's expanding ambitions beyond its well-known development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air taxi services.
This autonomous capability is designed to be retrofitted onto various conventional aircraft. Joby plans to initially market a regional airframe featuring this technology for defense missions and commercial freight. The company has a strong relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense, reinforced by a $17 million Air Force contract and a recent $500 million acquisition of Resonant Sciences, which specializes in radio frequency and sensor systems.
Further expanding its defense sector involvement, Joby has explored opportunities to develop autonomous gas-turbine hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for defense applications. These initiatives underscore Joby's strategic pivot towards diverse applications for its autonomy stack, including military logistics and potentially hydrogen-electric aircraft development.
