search

UMD    AGRC






A new collaboration between Lusby, Maryland-based HopFlyt Corporation and Assistant Professor Huan Xu seeks to reduce commuting time and traffic with the development of an air vehicle that aims to “hop” over traffic for distances up to 30 miles, carrying up to three passengers at a time.

The new project envisions reducing the 90-minute drive from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. during rush hour to just 15 minutes. The highly autonomous but piloted vehicle, called the Venturi, will take off and land like a helicopter and fly like an airplane, according to HopFlyt CEO and Chief Design Engineer Rob Winston.

“Our plan is to use it as an on-demand vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle. People could schedule a flight similar to a service such as Uber.”

The Venturi is all-electric, with 16 motors that adjust to make flight smooth for passengers. It gains efficiency, Winston explained, by eliminating control surfaces such as the hinged part of a wing used to provide balance. Instead, the Venturi will tilt its wings and adjust power in its motors to steady its flight.

That’s where Xu comes in. “We are working on the control laws for how you model this,” she explained. “We are coming at it from a theoretical modeling perspective—this should be this length, this motor should be this fast, so it is as safe as possible for people. I am excited to be working on this project and eventually see this type of technology transition to the public.”

Xu’s project with HopFlyt is supported by $100,000 in joint funding from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program, an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, and the company. MIPS supports technology development projects that team Maryland companies with University System of Maryland faculty.

HopFlyt also received a $25,000 pre-seed investment through the Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) Rural Business Innovation Initiative.



October 24, 2018


«Previous Story  

 

 

Current Headlines

Wind Tunnel Designated a Vertical Flight Heritage Site

Congratulations to our 2025 Department and College Honors and Award Recipients

UMD Alum Named Next Director of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

Alum Recognized with 2025 AIAA Missile Systems Award

Professor Derek Paley Wins 2024 Clark School Research Award

High School Innovator to Community Changemaker

Aerospace Engineering Senior Earns Winston Family Award for Outstanding Thesis

MATRIX-Affiliated Faculty Solving Tomorrow's Challenges Today

Students Take Top Spots at AIAA Region III Student Conference

Maryland Engineering: Top 10 Among Public Graduate Programs, 7 Years Running

 
 
Back to top  
AGRC Home Clark School Home UMD Home