Author Archives: The Editor

Volocopter Raises €200M in Series D Funding Round

Urban air mobility (UAM) company Volocopter announced the signing of its Series D funding round, raising €200 million in additional capital. Cumulatively, Volocopter has raised €322 million. The funding will be used to solidify Volocopter’s leading position in the UAM market by bringing the VoloCity, the battery-powered air taxi for cities, to certification and by accelerating the launch of its first commercial routes. Continue reading →

Sikorsky S-72 X-Wing Jet Helicopter with Blades as Wings

The Sikorsky S-72 was more than just a visually striking aircraft. This unique and unusual vehicle could take off and land vertically like a chopper, but it could also fly fast and far like a plane. The S-72 would ultimately be neither a helicopter nor a plane. Instead, it was a new concept, an “X-Wing,” conceived through a joint effort between the U.S Navy and NASA. Unfortunately, its innovative design ultimately proved too much for the time. Continue reading →

Toshiba Invests $15M in C-UAS Company Fortem

Toshiba Corporation announced that Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation, the Toshiba Group company specializing in the global infrastructure business (hereinafter Toshiba), has entered into a strategic business alliance with Fortem Technologies, Inc. (hereafter Fortem), and invested 15 million USD in the company. Fortem is a supplier of counter-drone security systems and Toshiba, through the alliance, aims to expand its radar-based security solutions business. Continue reading →

MIT’s LaserFactory Fabricates Fully Functional Drones

A group from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) recently developed a new system to print functional, custom-made devices and robots, without human intervention. Their single system uses a three-ingredient recipe that lets users create structural geometry, print traces, and assemble electronic components like sensors and actuators. Continue reading →