The overarching goal of the project myCopter is to avoid the typical problems associated with ground-based transportation by using the third dimension, combining the best of ground-based and air-based transportation. The solution pursued in myCopter is the creation of a personal air transport system (PATS) that can overcome the environmental and financial costs associated with current methods of transport. To enable this PATS Personal Aerial Vehicles (PAVs) are envisioned for travelling between homes and workplaces and should be flying at low altitude in urban environments. Such PAVs should be fully or partially autonomous without requiring ground-based air traffic control and operate outside controlled airspace.

Launched in January 2011, the project "myCopter - Enabling Technologies for Personal Aerial Vehicles" is funded by the European Commission in the Seventh Framework Programme for Aeronautics and Air Transport and coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Biological Kybernetics. The consortium will be mainly dealing with technology advancements necessary for a viable PATS like new automation technologies for obstacle avoidance, path planning and formation flying. ITAS will accompany the development, assess the potential impacts on socio-economic and ecological factors, and focus empirically on the perception and expectations of potential users. In doing so, technology assessment is carried out at an early stage of the project and thus able to influence the development of technologies and innovations right from the start.

Project homepage: http://www.mycopter.eu

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