Reliable Robotics, a company producing safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, has announced its certification plan was formally accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company says its autonomous flight system enables continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation including taxi, takeoff and landing. This achievement marks progress towards the certification of fully automated aircraft.
Reliable says the certification plan leverages existing regulations for normal and transport category aircraft, and does not require any special conditions or exemptions. “This agreement concludes many years of effort with the FAA to rigorously determine how autonomous systems will be integrated into aircraft,” said Juerg Frefel, Co-founder and CTO of Reliable Robotics. “Working within current rules enables us–and the FAA–to move faster and continue to improve the high levels of safety we have come to expect in aviation.”
According to Reliable its autonomous aircraft system, recently demonstrated as part of U.S. Air Force and NASA flight test campaigns, includes key technologies that will prevent common causes of aviation accidents and improve operational efficiency. The company says high integrity navigation systems make it possible to safely fly in lower visibility weather conditions without costly ground infrastructure and an “always on” autopilot also enables any aircraft to be remotely piloted with continuous engagement from departure gate to arrival gate.
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(Image: Reliable Robotitcs)
