Dec. 07, 2021
Sumitomo Corporation, JAL and Bell Complete Unmanned Air System Demonstration in Texas
In October 2021, Sumitomo Corporation, together with Japan Airlines (JAL) and Bell Textron (Bell) completed a flight test using the Bell APT (Autonomous Pod Transport) undergoing development by Bell in Fort Worth, Texas.
The companies conducted the test in preparation for ones to be held in Japan in and after the next fiscal year. At the demonstration, the following was accomplished.
- Verification of the ability to collect information on damage, etc.
- Investigation of flight performance assuming medical and support cargo transport (maximum payload, range, weather conditions, etc.)
- Verification of operability for demonstration test in Japan (assembling, disassembling, transporting, etc.)
- Usability confirmation using simulator
Fort Worth, where you can still feel the atmosphere of the Old American West, is home to many companies engaging in the aircraft industry. The test was successfully done under various weather conditions, including dry and hot weather characteristic of Texas, heavy rain and freezing cold.
Mitsuaki Kobayashi, Commercial Aviation Dept., Sumitomo Corporation mentioned, "This test is the first step and we would like to establish air mobility (*1) service as one of future key infrastructure though continuous tests for the future."
- Air Mobility: It is a familiar and easy means of moving in the sky by using a small flying vehicle capable of electric and vertical takeoff and landing. Expected to improve, urgent transportation and speedy transportation of goods, development for social implementation is progressing all over the world.
As the population concentrates in urban areas around the world, eVTOL (*2), which does not require a runway and has excellent environmental performance, is attracting attention and is expected to make affordable and easy short- and medium-distance transportation. In addition, unmanned aerial logistics is also attracting attention as a means of compensating for the need for quick package delivery and the shortage of delivery staff due to the expansion of E-Commerce.
- eVTOL: Stands for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing. It refers to a small aircraft with multiple rotors driven by an electric motor, which can take off and land vertically. eVTOL is attracting a lot of attention as a next-generation urban transportation means.
Sumitomo Corporation started discussion about air mobility service in 2018 considering future world with flying air mobility vehicles in a city(s). The market size of air mobility is expected to reach nearly US$9 billion in 2030, and there are high expectations. For social implementation of air mobility, not only technological progress but also the development of laws and regulations and the social acceptance are necessary, and various efforts are being made in various countries around the world.
In 2019, Sumitomo Corporation made a partnership with Bell for establishment of new business in air mobility and in 2020 Sumitomo Corporation, JAL and Bell made a partnership and are discussing operation of air mobility. The companies are working to solve the issues related to the operation of air mobility services.
In addition, Sumitomo Corporation invested in OneSky Systems, who is developing unmanned air system (UAS) traffic management system required for air mobility service. We are developing Japan market and Sumitomo Corporation, OneSky and Tohoku University had simulation for optimized flight routes and schedules of several UAVs by using Quantum computing in 2021. Quantum computing enables real-time optimization of flight routes and schedules of numerous UAVs.
We continue to contribute deeply to the realization of innovative transportation services, new technological inventions, industrial development, and construction of a next-generation mobility.
