New Zealand Herald, 06 October 2017 – Boeing is buying drone pioneer Aurora Flight Sciences, gaining a portfolio of futuristic technology such as unmanned air taxis that may someday navigate city skies for Uber Technologies.
With the acquisition, Boeing is betting that smarter airplanes will dominate flying, with computer algorithms and artificial intelligence playing an increasingly important role in the cockpit. Aurora is an early leader in autonomous flying, with products like a robotic co-pilot and software that can sense landing strips.
“We can’t predict what that future looks like. But whatever form that air travel takes, we want to be a leader,” Greg Hyslop, Boeing’s chief technology officer, said on a webcast after the acquisition was announced Thursday. Read more…
