Understanding the Different Types of Autonomous Vehicles
With the emergence of drones, quadcopters, hybrid and electric aircraft and more flying technical solutions comes the need to discover how the world can benefit from these innovations. But before we dive into their unique purposes, we have to understand their capabilities and what they are. How do they fly? What technology do they utilize? Jim Ryan, Sr. Sales and Strategy Manager from Advanced Vertical Lift Systems breaks down the different types of vehicles and which category Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) falls into.
Need more clarification? We’ve highlighted few basic aviation terms below to help you navigate this new, innovative world. Take a look:
Quadcopter: An unmanned helicopter with four rotors
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system; which include a UAV, a ground-based controller, and a system of communications between the two
Drones: A remote-controlled pilotless aircraft or small flying device
Hybrid aircraft: An aircraft with a hybrid electric powertrain, as the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is much lower than aviation fuel, it effectively increases the range compared to pure electric aircraft
Electric aircraft: Aircraft powered by electric motors, such as batteries, ground power cables, solar cells, ultracapacitors, fuel cells or power beaming
Tail-sitter: A tail-sitter or tailsitter is a type of VTOL aircraft that takes off and lands on its tail, then tilts horizontally for forward flight
As technology offers more innovations and terms to learn, we can’t wait to highlight more about our dynamic vehicles and share how they’ll fit into this new age of unmanned technology.
Discover more about Bell’s innovation and Bell APT 70.
About Bell
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.
We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.
Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
About Textron
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.
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