Bell Completes NASA Flight Trials with Autonomous Pod
Bell, believing its Autonomous Pod Transport is ready to begin the certification process, completed NASA trials demonstrating flight in complex airspace.
Flight trials conducted in December with NASA demonstrated the Bell Autonomous Pod Transport’s ability to integrate with ground radar systems. (Photo: Bell)
Flight trials conducted in December with NASA demonstrated the Bell Autonomous Pod Transport’s ability to integrate with ground radar systems. (Photo: Bell)

Taking a step toward commercializing its Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) cargo vehicle, Bell recently completed a successful demonstration of the eVTOL drone with the use of ground-based detect-and-avoid (DAA) sensors as part of a NASA Systems Integration and Operationalization project. Flight trials conducted in December showed the APT’s ability to integrate with ground radar systems, a key capability for operation in airspace traffic, Bell said, calling this a critical component for advanced air mobility vehicles.