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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 2019)
B5 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2019 Autonomous robo taxi takes to the skies By TOM BANSE Northwest News Network A drone air taxi designed by Airbus has successfully completed 114 test fl ights in Pacifi c Northwest skies. Airbus, along with its rival Boeing and many others, is striving to make fl ying cars an option for your urban commute. The enthusiasm around the test fl ight han- gar in Pendleton has to be leavened, though. Industry insiders said the technol- ogy is running years ahead of regulators and public acceptance. You can imagine living life like “The Jetsons” car- toon family when you stand next to Airbus’ electric, sin- gle-seat passenger drone. “It’s cool and it’s real,” said the head of fl ight test- ing, Matt Deal, as curious attendees from a regional drone industry conference admired the futuristic proto- type in a hangar at the Pend- leton airport. “No crashes, no nothing. It’s been great so far,” Deal said. “Over 100 takeoffs and landings, all self-piloted. So there is no pilot either on the ground or in the vehicle. From the very beginning, we were all autonomous.” Flight testing continues in the skies of the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Test Range. Airbus named the eight-rotor prototype “Vah- ana,” an allusion to Hindu mythology and fl ying car- pets. The goal is to offer a faster option for short hops across highly congested big cities – or from suburbs to city centers – at a cost that is competitive with ground taxi fare over the same distance. Deal said the proto- type has a range of around 31 miles or about 20 min- utes of fl ight time with fully charged batteries. He said the battery pack makes up almost 40% of the weight of Tom Banse/Northwest News Network The self-fl ying Vahana air taxi has completed 114 fl ight tests at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton. The Boeing Passenger Air Vehicle made its fi rst fl ight at Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia on Jan. 22. the vehicle. “Vahana was intended to be a technology demonstra- tor,” Deal said. “So from the very beginning we just wanted to prove the viabil- ity of technology and we’ve done that. From vertical takeoff, through transition, to a cruise speed of over 100 miles per hour, we’ve demonstrated electrifi cation in aviation is not only feasi- ble, it’s feasible now.” There was no human on board for any of Vaha- na’s fl ights. In Europe, the company is fl ight-testing a larger robo-air taxi dubbed CityAirbus. The learnings from both aircraft develop- ment programs will be com- bined into the next iteration. Deal said Airbus is proceed- ing methodically amid lots of competition worldwide. For its part, Boeing is testing a two-seat robo-air taxi developed by its Aurora Flight Sciences subsidiary. The Boeing electric ver- tical-takeoff-and-landing prototype made its maiden fl ight in January. It crashed onto a runway in June while fl ying unmanned at the Manassas, Virginia, airport, suffering substantial dam- age but causing no inju- ries to people, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. A leading Chinese com- petitor, Ehang, recently announced it has completed numerous demonstration fl ights carrying passengers in its two-seat electric fl y- ing car. So, when will you and I get to soar over traffi c in a fl ying Uber that we’ve hailed with a mobile app? That’s still hard to say. Last week, Pendleton High School students looked over the Airbus drone taxi and pronounced themselves ready to try it out. “I’d be fi ne fl ying in a drone,” sophomore Dylan McKenzie said. “I think it would be an amazing experience.” “I have enough confi - dence in the technology that they have put into this and the amount of development they have going into this machine that I trust them,” added fellow student Tripp Sorenson. Consultant Renee Fell- man of Portland was more cautious about boarding a pilotless air taxi. “I love technology,” Fell- man said. “I use technol- ogy, but there are too many glitches. Until I am sure, whether it is autonomous cars or autonomous air vehi- cles, I’m not personally get- ting in.” Public acceptance and perceptions of safety are among many remaining hur- dles, University of Washing- ton researcher Don MacK- enzie said. The engineering professor is currently study- ing why most people remain wary of autonomous vehicles. “Our research on road vehicle automation suggests that people are not necessar- ily ready,” MacKenzie said. “At least the average person is not necessarily ready to trust this technology and go all-in on it today based on what they know today.” MacKenzie said we have passed “the peak of infl ated expectations” and now more realism and grounded expectations prevail. The Federal Aviation Administration still needs to defi ne how it will certify this new class of passenger-car- rying aircraft. Separately, governments and aircraft makers are pouring mil- lions of dollars into air traf- fi c control studies. One of those trials will unfold over the inland Northwest soon, in partnership with defense contractor PAE ISR. The Airbus Vahana team is beginning to research noise from robo-air taxis – yet another issue with more questions than answers. Civic leaders in Pendle- ton have embraced the drone test range at the city-owned airport. Airbus and PAE ISR are probably the high- est-profi le tenants among a variety of global aerospace companies that have leased all of the available hangar space around the airfi eld. The organizers of the Association of Unmanned Vehicles Systems Interna- tional drone symposium held in Pendleton in early October enhanced the catch- phrase of the city’s signature rodeo to capture the new industry cluster. “Where Let’r Buck meets Let’r Fly!” the revised slo- gan read. 2019-2020 | 30TH SEASON COLUMBIAFORUM Tuesday, October 29, 2019 6 pm Appetizers • 6:30 pm Dinner • 7 pm Program Ten myths about climate change Are extreme weather events getting more extreme? Do we have 11 years before the window to “solve” climate change closes forever? Is it all just natural variability, with humans playing at most a bit part? And what about the Blob? Scientists began studying climate change over 100 years ago, and have uncovered many fascinating secrets about the Earth’s complex climate system. As heat-trapping gases accumulate, understanding and predicting the behavior of this complex system becomes ever more important, and often the science (sometimes very well-established, sometimes fresh and untested) plays out in the public sphere as never before. Come hear the state of the science of climate change, from the global scale to the Astoria area, from someone who has studied the subject for over 20 years. And bring your own questions. Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans will begin on 10/15/2019 and ends 12/7/2019. Clatsop Health & Life Insurance Agency offers all Medicare Advantage options available in Clatsop County. Philip Mote is vice provost and dean of the Graduate School and remains active in the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) and the NOAA-funded Climate Impacts Research Consor- tium (CIRC) for the Northwest. He is very active in leadership of the 60,000-member American Geo- physical Union, as President of Global Environmental Change, member of the Council, Vice Chair of the Council Leadership Team, and a member of the Board. If you are losing your Medicare Advantage plan, or just turning 65, then you’re eligible to enroll in either a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan. Clatsop Health & Life Insurance Agency can help you navigate all your options. Philip was the founding director (2009-19) of OCCRI and remains involved in communicating climate science within Oregon. Medicare Advantage Medicare Supplement Part D Prescription Drug Coverage He earned a B.A. in Physics from Harvard Uni- versity and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington. Columbia Forum Sponsors: • The Astorian/Coast River Business Journal • KMUN • Cannery pier Hotel and spa • Craft3 • OSU seafood experiment station I S Y OUR M EDICARE A DVANTAGE P LAN BEING D ISCONTINUED ? Y OU MUST T AKE A CTION TO AVOID L OSING C OVERAGE Already signed up with a Medicare Supplement? Under The Birthday Rule you have an annual, thirty day window that allows you to review your supplement options and change plans, starting on your birthday. We are a local agency. Philip Mote, Oregon State Climatologist COLUMBIAFORUM 2018-19 RSVP by Friday, October 25, 2019 For reservations, to become a member or be added to contact list: Call 503-325-4955 or email forum@dailyastorian.com Forum to be held at (new location): Chef Chris Holen’s NEKST EVENT 175 14th St., Ste 100 Astoria Foot of 12th St. Use back-in parking To Attend: Members: Dinner & Lecture $25 each; Lecture only free. Non-Members: Dinner & Lecture $35 each; Lecture only $15 each Appetizers available at 6pm. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm. Lecture will begin after dinner. Going with a local agent who’s familiar with Clatsop County doctors and medical facilities insures you’re getting the plan that works best with your medical care providers and you’ll always have someone to meet with, face to face, should any questions or concerns arise. Call Candi Vanderburg or Hamil Brown at 503 325 0154 to set an appointment. There’s no obligation and no additional charge for our services. -In downtown Astoria- Clatsop Health & Life Insurance Agency 960 Commercial St., Astoria, OR 97103 503 325 0154
