Supernal and Microsoft to jointly develop critical technology for AAM
Supernal is collaborating with Microsoft to develop autonomy, digital operations and cloud integration technologies.
The firms intend to do this by running AAM on the Microsoft cloud platform. With Microsoft Azure, Supernal can leverage the cloud computing power needed to run simulations at scale and accelerate its timeline to commercial entry.
Dr. Jaiwon Shin, president, Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal, said: “In ushering in a new frontier of transportation with Advanced Air Mobility, Supernal has an obligation to ensure safe and secure deployment of eVTOL vehicles. We are pleased to collaborate with Microsoft, a software leader, in responsibly advancing AAM autonomous systems and information-sharing.”
Initially, Microsoft will provide Supernal early access to Project AirSim, an AI-first simulation platform, to build, test, train and validate autonomous aircraft transportation through simulation. AirSim uses Azure to generate environment and sensory data to train machine learning models that simulate all phases of flight and variable weather patterns. The project also provides libraries of pre-trained AI models and planet-scale 3D environments representing urban and rural landscapes.
Ulrich Homann, corporate vice president Cloud + AI, Microsoft, said: “Air transport is a key pillar in the democratisation of mobility, connecting more people, goods and places through safe flight experiences. With the Microsoft Cloud, Supernal can unlock the computing power it takes to build, validate, and deploy electric air vehicles at scale, spurring the commercialisation of advanced air mobility solutions.”
Supernal is also looking to use the Microsoft mixed-reality headset (HoloLens 2) to create augmented reality applications for future vehicle and manufacturing operations. Augmented reality resources could create efficiencies in manufacturing and maintenance by giving technicians visual feedback during routine actions and bring engineering support virtually on-site.
