myCopter - Enabling Technologies for Personal Aerial Vehicles

  • Project team:

    Decker, Michael (Project leader); Torsten Fleischer; Sarah Meyer-Soylu; Jens Schippl

  • Funding:

    Commission of the European Communities

  • Start date:

    2011

  • End date:

    2014

  • Project partners:

    Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Kybernetik (Tübingen, Germany), The University of Liverpool (Liverpool, United Kingdom), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (Zürich, Switzerland), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (Karlsruhe, Germany), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (Braunschweig, Germany)

  • Research group:

    Innovation processes and impacts of technology

Project description

The overarching goal of the project myCopter is to avoid the typical problems associated with ground-based transportation by using the third dimension, combining the best of ground-based and air-based transportation. The solution pursued in myCopter is the creation of a personal air transport system (PATS) that can overcome the environmental and financial costs associated with current methods of transport. To enable this PATS Personal Aerial Vehicles (PAVs) are envisioned for travelling between homes and workplaces and should be flying at low altitude in urban environments. Such PAVs should be fully or partially autonomous without requiring ground-based air traffic control and operate outside controlled airspace.

Launched in January 2011, the project "myCopter - Enabling Technologies for Personal Aerial Vehicles" is funded by the European Commission in the Seventh Framework Programme for Aeronautics and Air Transport and coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Biological Kybernetics. The consortium will be mainly dealing with technology advancements necessary for a viable PATS like new automation technologies for obstacle avoidance, path planning and formation flying. ITAS will accompany the development, assess the potential impacts on socio-economic and ecological factors, and focus empirically on the perception and expectations of potential users. In doing so, technology assessment is carried out at an early stage of the project and thus able to influence the development of technologies and innovations right from the start.

Project homepage: http://www.mycopter.eu

Publications


2017
Presentations
Fleischer, T.
Individueller Luftverkehr in Städten?
2017. BBSR Werkstattgespräch ’Smart City und Stadtverkehr : Welchen Zukunftstyp streben wir an?, Berlin, 5.April 2017 
2016
Presentations
Decker, M.
Und wenn wir zur Arbeit fliegen?Enabling Technologies für Pendler(Luft)verkehr
2016. FutureCarBody 2016 : Internationales Fachforum für die Zukunft der Karosserie, Bad Neuheim, 7.-8.Juni 2016 
2014
Journal Articles
Meyer-Soylu, S.; Decker, M.; Fleischer, T.; Schippl, J.
Zur Arbeit fliegen? Eine Technikfolgenabschätzung der Idee des individuellen Luftverkehrs für die Stadt
2014. Technikfolgenabschätzung, Theorie und Praxis, 23 (1), 13–21 
Puhe, M.; Reichenbach, M.
In der Nische gefangen? Seilbahnen als Ergänzung des urbanen öffentlichen Verkehrs
2014. Technikfolgenabschätzung, Theorie und Praxis, 23 (1), 30–38 
Wiegerling, K.
Entlastung vs. Entmündigung - Assistenz- und Pflegesysteme in Zeiten des demographischen Wandels
2014. Technikfolgenabschätzung, Theorie und Praxis, 23 (1), 69–74 
Reports/Preprints
Presentations
Decker, M.
Science oder Fiction? Mein Roboter - faszinierend oder beängstigend?
2014. Vortr.: MS Wissenschaft, Saarbrücken, 22. Juli 2014 
2013
Conference Papers
Meyer-Soylu, S.; Schippl, J.; Decker, M.; Fleischer, T.
Personal air vehicles as a new option for commuting in Europe: vision or illusion?
2013. ETC conference papers 2013 - European Transport Conference (ETC), Frankfurt, 30 September - 2 October 2013, Association for European Transport 
Presentations
Heil, R.; Morcillo, J. M.; Robertson-von Trotha, C. Y.; Decker, M.
Wahrnehmungen von Roboterdarstellungen im Film
2013. 6. Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation (2013), Rheinstetten, Germany, November 11–13, 2013 
Meyer-Soylu, S.
Personal air vehicles as a new option for commuting in Europe: Vision or illusion?
2013. European Transport Conference (ETC 2013), Frankfurt am Main, Germany, September 30–October 2, 2013 
2012
Presentations
Decker, M.; Meyer, S.
And if we simply fly to work? An early technology assessment of personal air transportation
2012. Department Kolloquium, Max Planck Institut für biologische Kybernetik, Tübingen, 29.März 2012 
Meyer-Soylu, S.; Decker, M.; Fleischer, T.; Schippl, J.
Technology issues and user perspectives. Progress and outlook
2012. 2nd Periodic Meeting of myCopter (2012), Lausanne, Switzerland, June 21–23, 2012 
2011
Conference Papers
Jump, M.; Padfield, G. D.; White, M. D.; Floreano, d.; Fua, P.; Zufferey, J. C.; Schill, F.; Siegwart, R.; Bouabdallah, S.; Decker, M.; Schippl, J.; Höfinger, M.; Nieuwenhuizen, F. M.; Bülthoff, H. H.
myCopter: Enabling technologies for personal air transport systems
2011. The Future Rotorcraft : Enabling Capability Through the Application of Technology, London, GB, June 15-16, 2011 Paper publ.online 
Jump, M.; Perfect, P.; Padfield, G. D.; White, M. D.; Floreano, D.; Fua, P.; Zufferey, J. C.; Schill, F.; Siegwart, R.; Bouabdallah, S.; Decker, M.; Schippl, J.; Meyer, S.; Höfinger, M.; Nieuwnhuizen, F. M.; Bülthoff, H. H.
MyCopter: enabling technologies for personal air transport systems - an early progress report
2011. 37th European rotorcraft forum, 13.-15.09.2011 Hrsg.: Forum, European Rotorcraft, 37th European Rotorcraft Forum, Vergiate, I, September 13-15, 2011 Paper publ.online, Art.-Nr. 122 
Presentations
Decker, M.
Technikfolgenabschätzung der (humanoiden) Robotik. Multidisziplinäre Fragenstellungen
2011. Humanoide Roboter - Maschinen für Menschen? : Wie humanoide Roboter die Welt verändern, Karlsruhe, 7.Juli 2011 
Decker, M.; Fleischer, T.; Meyer, S.; Schippl, J.
Exploring the socio-technological environment of PAVs (Work package 7)
2011. Kick-off Meeting zum EU-Projekt “MyCopter” beim MPI für biologische Kybernetik (2011), Tübingen, Germany, January 20–21, 2011 
Jump, M.; Padfield, G. D.; White, M. D.; Floreano, d.; Fua, P.; Zufferey, J. C.; Schill, F.; Siegwart, R.; Bouabdallah, S.; Decker, M.; Schippl, J.; Höfinger, M.; Nieuwenhuizen, F. M.; Bülthoff, H. H.
myCopter: Enabling technologies for personal air transport systems
2011. The Future Rotorcraft : Enabling Capability Through the Application of Technology, London, GB, June 15-16, 2011 
Meyer, S.; Decker, M.; Fleischer, T.; Schippl, J.
Exploring the socio-technological environment of personal air vehicles (PAVs). Progress and outlook
2011. Kick-Off Meeting, Tübingen, January 20-21, 2011 myCopter 1st Periodic Meeting, Liverpool, GB, October 18-19, 2011 

Contact

Prof. Dr. Michael Decker
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)
P.O. Box 3640
76021 Karlsruhe
Germany

Phone: +49 721 608-23007
E-mail