Australian vertiport infrastructure company Skyportz has offered to make its Aeroberm™ vertipad intellectual property available at no charge to participants in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Enhanced Industry Partnership Program (EIPP) to support real-world Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) trials across the United States.
The offer follows the recent announcement of eight U.S. projects selected to participate in the EIPP program, which aims to accelerate the safe integration of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft into the national airspace and urban environments.
Skyportz CEO Clem Newton-Brown said the company wants to contribute Australian innovation to help solve some of the biggest infrastructure challenges facing the emerging industry.
“Advanced Air Mobility will only scale in cities if we solve the major infrastructure barriers. The Aeroberm was designed specifically to tackle those challenges,” Newton-Brown said.
“We are offering our Aeroberm IP at no charge to EIPP participants so they can test it in real-world conditions in the United States. With our product, cities will be able to fast track new urban vertiports on smaller footprints, more safely.
Addressing the Three Urban AAM Showstoppers
Skyportz developed the Aeroberm modular vertipad system to address what it sees as the three key showstoppers for AAM in urban locations:
- Downwash and outwash from eVTOL aircraft
- Fire safety risks associated with electric aircraft
- Noise impacts on surrounding communities
The patented landing platform ameliorates rotor outwash, significantly reducing hazardous wind effects while also providing fire extinguishing and containment and acoustic mitigation.
Research Breakthroughs to Be Presented in the U.S.A.
Skyportz is working with Swinburne University of Technology on refining the Aeroberm prototype, with testing showing major improvements in downwash and outwash mitigation compared with conventional vertipad designs.
The research will be presented at the Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 82 in Florida in May, where the Swinburne University research professor leading the project will outline the latest findings.
“Our research is demonstrating that vertiport design can dramatically improve safety and community acceptance for AAM operations,” Newton-Brown said.
“We look forward to sharing the results with the global vertical flight community in Florida.”
Skyportz will be engaging with EIPP project teams and industry stakeholders during and after the conference.
