Wow. My mind is absolutely blown.
DARPA and Sikorsy, a Lockheed Martin company, just completed the first uninhabited flight of a Black Hawk helicopter.
The helicopter used Sikorsky’ MATRIX technology to autonomously (without a pilot in the cockpit): take off, land, and avoid obstacles in a simulated scenario.
It’s an incredible video, and true testament to what’s possible with modern-day technology.
Hope you enjoy as much as I did.
Lockheed Martin: “Sitting on the runway in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, one of Sikorsky’s pilots in an S-70™ BLACK HAWK® helicopter flips the optionally piloted cockpit switch from two to zero, exits the aircraft and walks across the runway. Moments later, the Model A BLACK HAWK aircraft, identifiable by DARPA’s logo and tail number N60-OPV, completes a pre-flight check list, starts its engines, spins up its rotors and takes off with no crew onboard. All of it happens fully autonomously. Learn More: https://lmt.co/3HByJh9“