The University of Miami College of Engineering has launched the Miami Engineering Autonomous Mobility Initiative (MEAMI), a consortium of academic, industry, and government partners.
MEAMI researchers are developing next-generation electric vertical take-off landing (eVTOL) air vehicles, building on research funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the National Science Foundation, NASA, and other government agencies.
MEAMI participants include Eve Air Mobility, Aeroauto, and Ryder System, alongside non-profit leaders such as the Beacon Council. The consortium is also supported by prominent public sector partners in the Departments of Energy, Education, and Transportation.
MEAMI aims to advance autonomous mobility technology and anticipate challenges to implementation in today’s cities. Applications are plentiful, from air taxis, to assisting in quick transport of patients to hospitals, to rapid transit from busy downtown areas to the airport. Additionally, autonomous mobility will also be applied for surface transport aspects, addressing shipping of goods and people.
The consortium will investigate the many aspects of autonomous mobility, including advanced propulsion, sensing, integration of satellite signals with local sensing, artificial intelligence, clean energy and energy storage, and advanced materials, with prominent faculty members leading the way. In addition, issues of safety, air traffic control, regulatory aspects related to noise, cybersecurity, and other relevant matters will also be addressed by the consortium.
The initiative will work on five verticals focused on the next two years, Advanced Technological Development, Operations, Regulations and Safety, Public Relations, Development, and Advancement.
