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Pilotless plane flies over Wichita, putting the future of aviation on display
Joby Aviation demonstrated a retrofitted Cessna 208 Caravan using an autonomous flight system designed for potential use in cargo and emergency services.
What: Joby Aviation tested an autonomous flight kit on a Cessna 208 Caravan in Wichita, with plans to integrate this technology into various aircraft for logistics and emergency transport within the next few years.
Why it matters: Moving toward aircraft-agnostic autonomous systems allows companies to leverage existing airframes rather than building custom platforms, potentially lowering the barrier to entry for automated aerial operations.
Decoder
- Autonomous aircraft: An aerial vehicle that can navigate and fly without human pilot input via onboard sensing and flight control systems.
Original article
Joby Aviation recently flew its autonomous aircraft over Wichita. The company has developed a base system that can function in any aircraft. The plane used in the demonstration was a Cessna 208 Caravan that had been retrofitted with Joby's technology. Joby plans to start using the autonomous plane in emergency and cargo transport operations over the next few years, but its end goal is to make it a safe, viable transportation option.
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