FutureFlight
Bell and Xwing Complete NASA Detect and Avoid Flights with APT 70
Flights were made in unsegregated, busy airspace in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and involved operations in Class B airspace and with air traffic control clearances.
Bell APT 70 in Xwing NASA Trial
In September, Bell's Autonomous Pod Transport vehicle completed flights as part of NASA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System program using Xwing's detect and avoid technology. [Photo: Bell Textron]

Bell Textron this week demonstrated its Autonomous Pod Transport 70 (APT 70) vehicle as part of NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System program. The flight on September 28 was made using detect-and-avoid (DAA) hardware and software developed by autonomous technology specialist Xwing, which is separately advancing plans to certify a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft for unmanned operations.

Xwing’s DAA system consists of cameras, radars, and satellite-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, with these situational awareness and positioning inputs being integrated by the California-based company’s software. The technology can be used by a ground-based remote pilot or be coupled with an aircraft’s flight-control system to provide automated collision avoidance.