RESEARCH ON MULTI-ROTOR FIRST RESPONSE AND EVACUATION APPLICATIONS

The objective of this proposal is to design and explore a first response and medical evacuation concept for our manned ultralight vehicle.  With the overarching goal of rapid deployment, we aim to understand both manned first response use cases as well as unmanned deployment. In addition, we will assess the potential of manned evacuation. The aircraft’s design will be derived from the applicant’s personal aerial vehicle, the Hexa, a one-seater E-VTOL ultralight manned aircraft featuring a modular powertrain system, which will be adapted for this use case.  The time to deploy for this technology is measured in seconds, not minutes. It is also extremely lightweight (carbon fiber construction) and inexpensive, compared to military helicopters. In addition to tailoring the reconfigurable powertrain of the Hexa to the use case of first response and evacuation, we will endeavor to understand and explore with potential users specific design elements and improvements.  Specifically, we will evaluate a stretcher attachment as well as relevant first response use cases. With advances in brushless motors, battery technology, and microprocessors, this technology is within the realm of the possible. We have direct subject matter expertise from our commercial endeavors, and much of the project is de-risked by our prior technology development.  In addition, we are commercially viable with both rental reservations of over $700,000 and deposits on approx. $2M worth of aircraft. We have been flying manned since fall of 2018 and are currently undergoing significant safety testing in preparation for flying the public. We also have completed our first beta test with our advisor, noted drone expert and thought leader, Colin Guinn.   The technology is here, especially for short range missions (near to FOB for instance). The key next step is to collaborate with our academic partners to more fully understand the use case and how to tailor our solution toward it. This STTR helps us do that.