Pioneering Safe and Scalable Urban Air Mobility
Between 2019 and 2025, an interdisciplinary research consortium investigated the fundamental requirements for integrating air taxis into future mobility systems. The focus lay on Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as a potential solution to urban and regional transport challenges, with research activities targeting the design of eVTOL systems, the development of crash safety methodologies, and the creation of digital tools for structured safety assessment.
The consortium brought together expertise from aerospace engineering, automotive safety, urban planning, human-machine interaction, and digital systems. This diverse knowledge base enabled a comprehensive approach that considered not only technological innovation, but also infrastructure integration, user acceptance, and regulatory alignment.
A key result of the research was the development of modular aircraft configurations tailored to transurban and intermodal use cases. These were derived from real-world mobility data and embedded in scalable operational models, taking into account airspace integration, energy efficiency, and infrastructure requirements. Beyond system design, the work provided a deeper understanding of how UAM can be embedded into existing multimodal transport networks.
Another major achievement was the establishment of simulation-based crashworthiness evaluation methods for eVTOL vehicles. With no applicable certification standards in place, the consortium transferred biomechanical principles from the automotive domain to aviation, defining new impact scenarios and safety criteria for vertical flight systems. These methods allow for quantifiable assessment of structural behavior and occupant protection across different flight phases.
All research findings were consolidated into an open, modular digital platform that supports consistent evaluation of safety performance. Designed for use by industry and regulatory bodies alike, the tool contributes to transparent, certifiable development processes and lays the foundation for a future consumer protection framework in UAM.
The result is a forward-looking research contribution that links innovation with practical applicability – helping to shape a safe, scalable, and publicly accepted air mobility ecosystem.
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