'Autonomously commanded from up to 70 miles away': The US military is testing self-flying cargo helicopters…
- Airbus’ MQ-72C rerouted itself after restricted airspace suddenly appeared during flight
- Starlink carried remote commands to a cargo helicopter from 70 miles away
- Shield AI’s Hivemind software helps helicopters navigate without constant pilot intervention
The US Army has tested Airbus’ MQ-72C Lakota Connector, an autonomous cargo helicopter designed to reroute around suddenly restricted airspace.
Operators controlled the helicopter from distances reaching 70 miles through communications infrastructure supporting operations beyond conventional line of sight.
The aircraft follows a flight plan supplied by a human operator, while onboard autonomy software handles navigation and responses to changing conditions.
Starlink and Hivemind enable remote control and autonomous navigation
Airbus conducted five demonstration flights at Huntsville Executive Airport in Alabama, showcasing autonomous hovering, complex turns, and conventional airport traffic patterns.
During one exercise, the aircraft encountered a newly introduced restricted airspace area and calculated an alternative route using its onboard autonomy systems.
“The aircraft had...
Copyright of this story solely belongs to www.techradar.com. To see the full text click HERE
