Visualization of NASA’s Air Taxi with Side-by-Side Rotors, for Urban Air Mobility

In this high-resolution visualization of NASA ’s intermeshing rotor air taxi concept, NASA researchers are working to understand complex rotor air flow interactions, simulated using computational fluid dynamics methods. This video shows the vortex wake, colored according to pressure. Intermeshing rotors are more compact and more efficient in cruise than twin-motored helicopters without overlapping rotors. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a system that supports a mix of onboard/ground-piloted and autonomous operations. UAM vehicles are envisioned to be autonomous, using electric or hybrid propulsion to transport passengers and cargo from one point in an urban area to another, avoiding all ground traffic.