Merlin Demonstrates Autonomous Flight Technology at Texas Project NEXUS eIPP Event

Merlin participated in the Texas Department of Transportation’s Project NEXUS kickoff event, demonstrating capabilities from its AI-powered Merlin Pilot autonomy platform. The Merlin autonomous flight demonstration included autonomous takeoff and landing, AI-powered Air Traffic Control communications, dynamic in-flight re-planning and threat avoidance.

The event was held at Alliance Airport as part of TxDOT’s Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program activities and included multiple industry flight demonstrations.

Merlin Autonomous Flight Technology Demonstrated at Project NEXUS

TxDOT invited Merlin to participate in the Project NEXUS kickoff alongside eIPP partners Joby Aviation, BETA Technologies and other industry participants.

Merlin demonstrated several capabilities of the Merlin Pilot platform, including:

• Autonomous takeoff
• Autonomous landing
• AI-powered Air Traffic Control communications
• Dynamic autonomous in-flight re-planning
• Threat avoidance

Merlin CEO and founder Matt George narrated the demonstration.

According to the company, the demonstration showed how Merlin Pilot can perform flight responsibilities traditionally managed by human pilots.

Project NEXUS Brings Industry and Government Together

The Project NEXUS kickoff was attended by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and other federal and state transportation and congressional leaders.

TxDOT used the event to conduct multiple industry flight demonstrations as part of its Advanced Air Mobility activities.

According to Merlin, its participation builds on ongoing work with aviation regulators and government customers to develop, test and eventually certify autonomous technologies for civil and military aircraft.

Merlin Pilot Targets National Airspace Integration

Merlin said demonstrations such as Project NEXUS are intended to show how autonomous aircraft technology can operate predictably within the U.S. National Airspace System.

The company identified several objectives for its autonomous flight technology, including:

• Reducing pilot workload
• Improving operational efficiency
• Enhancing safety
• Supporting autonomous operations within the National Airspace System

“Safely integrating advanced air mobility into the National Airspace System requires close collaboration among industry, regulators, and government leaders,” said Tim Burns, Chief Technology Officer at Merlin.

“The Project NEXUS kickoff provides an important forum for that work, and we were pleased to have the opportunity to demonstrate how Merlin Pilot can safely execute critical flight responsibilities traditionally managed by human pilots. Events like this help generate the real world operational data and shared understanding needed to move autonomy as well as other next generation technologies from development toward safe deployment at scale.”

Texas Project NEXUS Selected for FAA eIPP

TxDOT’s Project NEXUS was selected for the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program earlier this year.

The multi-state initiative brings together:

• Texas
• Oklahoma
• Louisiana
• Choctaw Nation

According to the announcement, Project NEXUS will provide the FAA and the broader federal government with a diverse operational environment for evaluating emerging technologies and Advanced Air Mobility use cases.

Merlin Continues Autonomous Aviation Development

Merlin is developing full-stack autonomous flight technology for both military and civilian aircraft, with the goal of supporting autonomous operations from takeoff through touchdown.

According to the company, Merlin Pilot has completed hundreds of autonomous flights from test facilities around the world.

Merlin also has more than $100 million in total IDIQ contract ceiling value under its C-130J autonomy program with USSOCOM.

The Merlin autonomous flight demonstration at Project NEXUS showcased AI-powered communications, autonomous takeoff and landing, in-flight re-planning and threat avoidance as TxDOT and its partners work toward integrating Advanced Air Mobility technologies into the National Airspace System.

Source: Press release from Merlin