University of North Texas

UNT, Bell to Test First-Ever ‘Air Corridor' Tuesday, Part of Unmanned Air Taxi Project

Part of what will make unmanned air taxis and ambulances a possibility in the "near future" will be tested publicly on Tuesday afternoon

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On Tuesday afternoon, researchers with the University of North Texas will make the first public demonstration of a flight within a designated ‘air corridor,’ which is a crucial part of making its larger project possible – launching a fleet of unmanned flying vehicles in the region.

“It is near future, probably,” said Kamesh Namuduri, Ph.D., Director of the Autonomous Systems Laboratory at the University of North Texas. “Air corridors, air ambulances, and air taxis could become reality very soon, probably three years, maybe five years.”

UNT is part of a larger team of contributors, made up of two other universities – Texas A&M Corpus Christi and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst – and eight companies, including Fort Worth-based Bell, working to make autonomous air travel possible.

As part of its larger project, the researchers will demonstrate the first air corridor in the country on Tuesday. An air corridor is a designated route, like a road for a regular car, that will mark a pathway for flying vehicles.

“Even though it is possible to let vehicles fly from anywhere to anywhere, it will not be safe in sections,” Namuduri said. “So, these corridors are somewhat reserved spaces where you can guarantee that communication will always be available. Without corridors, that kind of guarantee cannot be given.”

The current air corridor runs from Fort Worth’s Alliance Airport to the UNT Discovery Park in Denton, which is home to the Autonomous Systems Laboratory. The manned test flight will take place Tuesday afternoon.

Two future air corridors are planned for further testing between the UNT Discovery Park and Frisco and Alliance Airport and Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma.

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