SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The proliferation of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) systems will be greatly accelerated by the availability of technologies that improve flight safety and provide robust pilot-less automation of takeoff and landing activities. EVTOL operation in dense urban environments for air taxi and drone package delivery applications will require a very robust system-of-systems for control and guidance. In response to this need, MaXentric has teamed with University Research Foundation (URF) to develop a system codenamed COMPASS (Coherent Orthogonal Multistatic Position and Attitude Sensing System). COMPASS uses coherent multistatic techniques to provide aircraft with reliable, low latency position and orientation information relative to an equipped landing zone. The information extracted by COMPASS can be used to further increase the safety factor of next generation eVTOL guidance systems. During the Phase I effort, our team will use simulation and hardware testing to explore the COMPASS tradespace and demonstrate how it can enhance automated guidance. Our team will develop a detailed blueprint for a compact SWaP efficient prototype suitable for aircraft integration. The Phase I will culminate in a hardware demonstration of the COMPASS architecture to highlight its performance and low risk.
