Although it may sound like something from a science fiction movie, self-flying helicopters are now here, and they can pull off flawless solo flights.
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky division has been working away on military self-flying helicopters for years.
And thanks to advances in technology, self-flying helicopters have moved from science fiction to science fact.
The Sikorsky division has showcased various self-flying technologies, including a Black Hawk taking off, making its way through various obstacles, and landing – all by itself.
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Self-flying helicopters have been in the works for years
Autonomous driving systems and taxis, such as Tesla’s Robotaxi and Waymo, have been big news over the past couple of years.
But it’s not just carmakers that are working with autonomous technology.
Companies like the UK-based Leonadro Helicopters have been quietly working away on fully autonomous self-flying helicopters.
And over in the US, Lockheed Martin has been working on its Sikorsky MATRIX technology for years.
The company has been working alongside Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and, in 2022, showcased an ‘optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopter’ – aka a self-flying Black Hawk helicopter.
The autonomous Black Hawk took part in a 30-minute mission to ‘demonstrate its ability to adapt to a variety of mission environments’.
The Black Hawk was able to navigate at a typical speed and altitude through a simulated cityscape and was able to avoid imagined buildings while re-routing in real time.
“The Black Hawk helicopter then autonomously executes a series of pedal turns, maneuvers and straightaways before completing a perfect landing,” Lockheed Martin said at the time.
“Sikorsky’s advancements in flight automation and autonomy will be game-changers for Army aviators and ground commanders,” Sikorsky business development lead for Army, Future Vertical Lift, and Innovations programs Jay Macklin said.
They could have some very important real-world uses
While the pilotless flight was a chance for Sikorsky to show what it had been working on, the technology could have some very practical real-world applications.
In an exercise in May this year, Sikorsky joined forces with Rain, a leader in the emerging fire-tech industry, to use a self-flying helicopter to put out early-stage wildfires.
“Sikorsky’s autonomous Black Hawk helicopter is equipped with fly-by-wire flight controls, MATRIX flight autonomy, satellite datalink, and on-board thermal and vision cameras,” the company said.
In the future, they could also be used for emergency medical service, search and rescue operations, and to deliver aid and cargo.
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