Reliable Robotics, a leader in automated aircraft systems, was selected as a vehicle flight partner for NASA's Advanced Air Mobility's (AAM) National Campaign. The company will conduct flight tests during this first phase of the National Campaign, slated for 2022. The tests serve to demonstrate how the company's automation system can be integrated into an experimental ecosystem that connects airspace providers, infrastructure services and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles.

"We look forward to working with all of our partners as we progress with our National Campaign itinerary," said Starr Ginn, AAM National Campaign lead. "Reliable Robotics brings an aircraft-agnostic automation system to the group, which will add to our varied testing portfolio."

NASA's vision is to help create safe, sustainable, accessible, and affordable aviation for several uses at the local and regional level. Expanding access to places previously not served or underserved by aviation is at the core of the mission. The focus of the campaign is the integration of air taxis, cargo delivery aircraft and other new air vehicle concepts into the National Airspace System. To facilitate community-wide advancement of technology that supports these operations, NASA selected thirteen companies and one university across three categories — vehicle developers, airspace and infrastructure entities — to participate in the AAM National Campaign.

Participating vehicle developers include Reliable Robotics, Joby Aviation and Wisk. Reliable Robotics intends to advance several key areas, including trajectory planning, integrated flight operations, contingency management, air-to-air conflict management and constrained conflict management.

"Our team is honored to collaborate with NASA to further demonstrate Advanced Air Mobility capabilities through remote operation of our aircraft," said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO of Reliable Robotics. "It's exciting to participate in a program with industry partners at the forefront of expanding our future airspace systems."

Reliable Robotics designed and has demonstrated its remotely operated aircraft system on two aircraft types: a Cessna 172 with no one on board, and a larger Cessna 208 Caravan, a popular cargo aircraft, piloted from a control center inside company headquarters. With experimental airworthiness approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, they have flown over populated regions; and continue to focus development efforts on certification of the system for commercial use.