EU Mycopter project to develop a personal air transportation system

The myCopter project aims to pave the way for PAVs to be used by the general public within the context of a personal air transport system (PATS)

PAVs will be designed and implemented on unmanned aerial vehicles, motion simulators, and a manned helicopter. In addition, an investigation into the human capability of flying a PAV will be conducted, resulting in a user-centred design of a suitable human-machine interface (HMI). Furthermore, the project will introduce new automation technologies for obstacle avoidance, path planning and formation flying, which also have excellent potential for other aerospace applications. This project is a unique integration of technological advancements and social investigations that are necessary to move public transportation into the third dimension.

The myCopterproject will investigate
* User-centered design of human-machine interface for PAVs
* Novel training techniques for the inexperienced 3D driver (PAV pilots)
* New technologies for vehicle automation and control
* Social and technological impact of a PATS

Automation of aerial vehicles
Some automation will be required for the average human to fly a PAV

Approach
*Control and navigation of a single PAV (ETH)
*Vision-aided localization and navigation
*Vision-aided automatic take-off and landing
*Navigation in the air (EPFL)
*Mid-air collision avoidance
*Vision-based relative positioning
*Formation flying
*Evaluation of automation and HMI on FHS (DLR)

Social and economic impact (KIT)
PAVs have been discussed already for many years, but the impact on society and the social expectations have not yet been evaluated

Main questions
*How can PAVS be integrated into existing global transportation systems
*Requirements on infrastructure and transport
*Adaptation of the legal framework
*What degree of autonomy needs to be developed
*How does automation interact with the HMI
*What are the perspectives and expectations of a PAV user (Questionnaires and Interviews)

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