+VIDEO Look closely at the photos… who is flying this helicopter? That’s right, there’s no pilot on board, nor a co-pilot. This is an unmanned flight.
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme completed a first-ever flight of a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter without anyone onboard.
Sikorsky completed 30-minutes of uninhabited flight with the optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) over the US Army installation at Fort Campbell, Kentucky on 5 February.
The Black Hawk was retrofitted with Sikorsky MATRIX™ autonomy technologies that form the core of ALIAS and can change the way aviators and air crews execute their missions by providing assistance when flying with limited visibility or without communications.
“With reduced workloads pilots can focus on mission management instead of the mechanics,” said Stuart Young, programme manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office.
“This unique combination of autonomy software and hardware will make flying both smarter and safer.”
ALIAS aims to support execution of an entire mission from takeoff to landing, including autonomously handling contingency events such as aircraft system failures. Easy-to-use interfaces facilitate supervisor-ALIAS interaction.
