Ricardo to Assist in Taxibot Vehicle Development
Ricardo is to support Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) through the next stages of development of the Taxibot vehicle, which is designed to cut aviation fuels, environment footprint and ground noise. The company's involvement in the development of IAI's semi-autonomous taxiing vehicle dates back to 2008, when the first demonstration vehicle was produced. After an initial feasibility study, Ricardo developed a detailed programme for IAI to take the concept to the level of a working demonstrator vehicle with representative capability in order to prove the concept.
Ricardo's involvement in this work included initial requirements capture, conceptual design and modelling and detailed specification design. Ricardo engineers went on to support the manufacture and demonstration of the first Taxibot demonstrator vehicle. Testing of this first vehicle was carried out during 2010, towing an Airbus-owned A340 aircraft at Toulouse airport and, subsequently, a Boeing 747 from the Lufthansa fleet at Frankfurt.
In each case, the system was manoeuvred by fully qualified test and commercial pilots and proved successful. Despite severe weather conditions during the Frankfurt tests in particular, for example, the Taxibot demonstrator system maintained its defined envelope. IAI has now embarked on a further phase of development - supported by Ricardo - which aims to take the concept through to first commercial implementation during 2012. As part of its responsibilities under the new contract, Ricardo will assist IAI in the pre-production systems engineering effort to develop the Taxibot to be compatible with narrow-bodied aircraft as well as taking the system forward to gain certification from the appropriate authorities to enable it to enter commercial production.
Specific tasks that Ricardo will focus upon include dynamic vehicle systems simulation, advanced control systems development including an autonomous steering function, design and development of a key hydro-mechanical system and assistance with vehicle integration and testing. 'Taxibot has the potential to play a very important role in reducing the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of commercial airliners while also reducing noise in the vicinity of major airports,' said Richard Gordon, Ricardo's project director for the Taxibot programme.
As part of the continued Taxibot development programme, further demonstrator vehicle tests on Airbus and Boeing aircraft are scheduled for the second quarter of 2011 in order to assist prototype development and bring the system design to maturity prior to serial production. IAI currently plans to secure certification for the first aircraft during 2012 and deliveries of the first units to customers should begin before the end of the same year.
Ricardo's involvement in this work included initial requirements capture, conceptual design and modelling and detailed specification design. Ricardo engineers went on to support the manufacture and demonstration of the first Taxibot demonstrator vehicle. Testing of this first vehicle was carried out during 2010, towing an Airbus-owned A340 aircraft at Toulouse airport and, subsequently, a Boeing 747 from the Lufthansa fleet at Frankfurt.
In each case, the system was manoeuvred by fully qualified test and commercial pilots and proved successful. Despite severe weather conditions during the Frankfurt tests in particular, for example, the Taxibot demonstrator system maintained its defined envelope. IAI has now embarked on a further phase of development - supported by Ricardo - which aims to take the concept through to first commercial implementation during 2012. As part of its responsibilities under the new contract, Ricardo will assist IAI in the pre-production systems engineering effort to develop the Taxibot to be compatible with narrow-bodied aircraft as well as taking the system forward to gain certification from the appropriate authorities to enable it to enter commercial production.
Specific tasks that Ricardo will focus upon include dynamic vehicle systems simulation, advanced control systems development including an autonomous steering function, design and development of a key hydro-mechanical system and assistance with vehicle integration and testing. 'Taxibot has the potential to play a very important role in reducing the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of commercial airliners while also reducing noise in the vicinity of major airports,' said Richard Gordon, Ricardo's project director for the Taxibot programme.
As part of the continued Taxibot development programme, further demonstrator vehicle tests on Airbus and Boeing aircraft are scheduled for the second quarter of 2011 in order to assist prototype development and bring the system design to maturity prior to serial production. IAI currently plans to secure certification for the first aircraft during 2012 and deliveries of the first units to customers should begin before the end of the same year.
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