Michigan’s air mobility research corridor to advance beyond-line-of-sight drones

A flight corridor for testing drones and electric aircraft will link the University of Michigan’s autonomy research and proving ground facilities in Ann Arbor to Michigan Central’s urban testbed and innovation district in Detroit.

The roughly 40-mile research skyway will be the centerpiece of M-Air, a public-private partnership for advanced air mobility. M-Air is to be part of the existing public-private partnership Mcity, providing physical, remote, mixed-reality, and fully simulated environments for testing connected and automated vehicles.

M-Air will enable advanced air mobility researchers and companies to test their technologies in realistic environments, with a focus on beyond-line-of-sight operation of autonomous aircraft as well as battery powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

The state of Michigan is providing $1 million in anchor support for M-Air as part of a broader advanced air mobility initiative. The effort is funded through the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), with infrastructure support from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

The flight corridor will be outfitted with a drone traffic management system meeting national safety standards, enabling drones to share low-altitude airspace beyond the operator’s line of sight. It’ll also support swarm operations testing, with multiple drones working together on a shared objective.

The corridor will run through U-M Dearborn, providing access to the state-of-the-art facility to faculty and students at a second U-M campus.

At its other end point, Michigan Central is a business incubator focused on advanced mobility, supporting start-ups and small businesses that may benefit from easy access to flight testing. It’s also home to the Advanced Aerial Innovation Region, which focuses on commercial drone development. https://mcity.umich.edu; https://michigancentral.com/advanced-aerial-innovation-region