Lockheed Martin Ventures this week invested an unspecified sum in sensor specialist Hidden Level. The company is developing airspace monitoring sensors to support autonomous aircraft operations for urban air mobility applications.
Hidden Level is working with several undisclosed autonomous aircraft developers, according to business development manager James Licata. “We provide our low-altitude airspace data on non-cooperative airspace participants so that contingencies can be utilized if there are en-route issues or problems at landing sites,” he explained to FutureFlight. He added that the sensors can ensure that the positional reports of cooperative aircraft reflect their actual position in the sky to guard against airspace conflicts.
The company, which is headquartered in Syracuse, New York, says its Airspace Monitoring System will provide data to enhance situational awareness for autonomously operated aircraft. Some aircraft developers are interested in using its distributed-edge computing, multiple-sensor modalities, and 5G communication technologies to reduce latencies for autonomous detect-and-avoid performance.
Lockheed Martin announced the strategic investment on September 17 in a move that marks the start of a Series A funding round for Hidden Level. In July, Uber named the company as one of its “ecosystem partners” to support its planned eVTOL air taxi network.
