Friday, March 29, 2024

Supernal’s electric air taxi to get advanced radar solutions

Echodyne, a US-based radar platform company, has partnered with Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, to develop next-generation radar solutions for enhanced advanced air mobility (AAM) safety.

Born from the start as the AAM division of an automotive giant, Hyundai Motor Group, Supernal is developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle and is targeting the launch of commercial flights in 2028. Hyundai helped design the Supernal eVTOL cabin concept, which recently won the International Forum (iF) Design Award. At the heart of this award-winning concept are passenger-centered features, a luxurious style, and sustainable principles.

In addition to comfort and style, the Korean company is also aiming for the highest levels of safety. The latest partnership between Echodyne and Supernal will focus on how to leverage Echodyne’s market-leading radars to enhance safety in Supernal’s vehicles and across ground-based operations.

The collaboration spans the AAM ecosystem, from onboard systems for in-flight situational awareness to ground-based solutions for enhanced operational clarity in dense airspaces like vertiports, flight areas, and corridors.

“Echodyne offers unique radar-based detection capabilities that Supernal can utilize in Advanced Air Mobility development,” said Ben Diachun, chief technology officer of Supernal. “Resilient and powerful radar aids airborne situational awareness to improve safety in the air.”

When airborne, the Echodyne radar will provide all-weather airspace monitoring for advanced vehicles like Supernal’s in the near-term – and potential automated applications in the future. On the ground, the radar will deliver situational awareness data that complements the airborne radar, further enhancing the safety case and surpassing any product in its weight class. The partnership will help the fast-developing AAM industry achieve the highest aviation industry safety benchmarks.

“Supernal is reimagining airborne mobility with the same ‘safety above all’ mentality we have here at Echodyne,” said Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne. “As their team continues to shape the future of the Advanced Air Mobility market, we are pleased Supernal recognizes the value of radar as they track towards market entry. The AAM market is another long-term global market where we have a significant technology advantage, and this partnership demonstrates our intention to remain a significant contributor to airspace safety solutions across the industry.”