Autonomous flight pioneer Merlin Labs has selected Canadian avionics specialist CMC Electronics to power its autonomous flight systems, the company announced Thursday.
CMC Electronics will provide Merlin with its PU-3000 avionics computer, the world’s first civil-certified multicore mission computer, to host its autonomous flight-control software. Boston-based Merlin Labs is working to develop a “drop-in” autonomy conversion kit that can make various types of piloted, legacy aircraft completely self-piloted.
“The PU-3000 avionics computer has the multicore processing power, diverse interfaces, and civil certification pedigree we needed for our mission,” said Shaun Johnson, CEO of Merlin New Zealand Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Merlin Labs). “Merlin is delighted to partner with CMC Electronics to propel the future of fully autonomous flight and to build a safe and autonomous unmanned aerospace industry.”
Merlin Labs and other autonomous flight pioneers, such as Xwing and Reliable Robotics, are hoping to help alleviate the ongoing pilot shortage by providing autonomous flight solutions to reduce and replace pilots in the cockpit. These companies all plan to begin operations in cargo transportation, but the same technology could also be used for commercial flights. Merlin Labs says its aim for now is to reduce crew in large cargo aircraft and eliminate the need for any crew at all on board smaller aircraft.
“At a time when crew shortages are a critical industry issue, we are pleased to be part of the solution alongside Merlin, which is enhancing aviation safety while pushing the boundaries of innovation,” said Brad Nolen, CMC’s v-p of sales and marketing.
This past summer, Merlin Labs announced that it had raised $105 million in its latest funding round—bringing its total funding raised to $130 million—and secured a partnership with the U.S. Air Force to produce an autonomous flight system for the C-130J Super Hercules, the most-used cargo carrier in the Air Force’s fleet.
