A new agreement between Florida Tech and Eve Air Mobility will provide students with industry-level technical challenges. The Memorandum of Understanding Florida Tech and Eve signed also calls for discussions on future research collaborations, including aviation human factors, aviation operations, autonomy, aviation business management approaches and aviation psychology.
“This partnership plays a vital role in advancing cutting-edge research and driving innovation across the urban air mobility ecosystem,” said Luiz Mauad, vice president of Customer Service at Eve Air Mobility. “We believe that partnering with a prestigious, STEM-focused university like Florida Tech will help establish a strong pipeline of high-quality talent through internships pilot projects and local career fairs. More importantly, this MOU lays the foundation for ongoing collaboration, enabling us to tackle real-world challenges together and co-develop curriculum that aligns with the evolving industry needs.”
According to Meredith Carroll, professor of aviation human factors in the College of Aeronuatics: “We can provide theoretical problems for them to solve, but if Eve has actual technical problems in need of innovative solutions, that process gives students real-world experience – and it’s a motivating factor,” she said. “If they produce a great solution, maybe there will be interest in internships or even employment. So, it really enhances the educational aspect of the courses.”
“On some of the proposed flight paths, people will experience acceleration forces that are very different from their experience on an airliner,” she said. “Are they going to tolerate that well? Will they want to fly again? So, the sounds, the vibrations – studying those factors, how they impact human comfort. That might be a cool topic on which we could collaborate.”.
Another research area could center on Eve’s work on low-altitude traffic management. As Florida Tech has an air traffic controller programme it is a collaboration worth considering, Carroll said.
For more information
https://news.fit.edu/featured/florida-tech-eve-air-mobility-formalize-collaboration/
(Image: Meredith Carroll, professor of aviation human factors at Florida Tech, sits in the cockpit of Eve Air Mobility’s full-scale eVTOL mockup as Rian Mehta, associate dean at Florida Tech’s College of Aeronautics, looks on – Florida Tech)