AIBOT has picked Honeywell to supply its Compact Fly-By-Wire (cFBW) for AIBOT’s fully electric eVTOL aircraft. cFBW is designed with next generation avionics to support future sustainable transportation.

The AIBOT aircraft is powered by eight electric motors and will accommodate up to six passengers and a pilot. It has maximum take-off weight of 3.5 tons and a maximum range of 250 miles. Top cruise speed is 250 mph, making it suitable for short-haul between cities and metropolitan areas.

AIBOT will begin production of fully autonomous heavy unmanned aircraft for cargo haulage, agriculture, high-speed inspection, and medical deliveries in 2024. This programme shares system architecture with AIBOT’s manned aircraft, for which the inaugural flight will be in 2025. Full product delivery of each aircraft is expected by 2028.

Honeywell’s cFBW is the size of a paperback book. It enables the removal of conventional mechanical linkages controlling the effectors, streamlining maintenance procedures, and reducing costs throughout the entire lifecycle of an aircraft.

It also enables remote operation of the aircraft, translating instructions from the aircraft’s operator into flight control commands on the aircraft.

“Our Compact Fly-By-Wire system is a ready-now solution to advance the future of sustainable flight. It is derived from decades of expertise providing similar systems for commercial airliners,” said David Shilliday, vice president and general manager, Advanced Air Mobility, Honeywell Aerospace. “The collaboration will enable AIBOT to realise its vision of creating a sustainable and efficient transportation ecosystem.”

“AIBOT is poised to revolutionise the urban air mobility market by utilising the latest in cutting-edge, safety-critical computing platforms, particularly those which bolster the high-performance processing needed for the next-gen algorithms we developed,” said Jerry Wang, Executive Chairman, AIBOT. “Collaborating with Honeywell is a huge step forward for us and will help us power the most advanced software-driven aiEVTOL platform.”