NH Company Completes Autonomous Helicopter Flight Test Program.

Rotor Technologies, a company based in Nashua, New Hampshire, has completed a test campaign for its uncrewed R220Y helicopter, which is a modified version of the Robinson R22 piston-powered helicopter. This test program is claimed to be the first-ever involving an uncrewed full-scale civilian helicopter. The flight test regime included over 20 hours of flight time and more than 80 hours of engine-run time, and it successfully demonstrated Rotor's flight control systems, autonomous hover and velocity modes, and vision-based perception systems. Rotor's next step is to develop the R550X, a modified version of the Robinson R44 Raven II, with plans to put it into revenue operation in 2024. The company envisions potential mission types for its autonomous helicopters, including firefighting, crop dusting, construction, humanitarian aid, and remote cargo delivery. Rotor also anticipates eventually moving into passenger operations, with the potential to significantly reduce travel time for certain routes. [Extracted from the article]