The Boston-based startup has impressed investors like Baillie Gifford with its work to bring autonomy to U.S. Air Force C-130J transport planes and a canny strategy that could make it the first company to win safety approval for a semi-autonomous flight control system in a civil aircraft.
s air travelers suffer through a summer of flight delays and cancellations fueled in part by a pilot shortage, Merlin Labs is one of a slew of companies working on a long-term solution: taking pilots out of the cockpit by developing computer systems that allow planes to fly themselves.
What it won’t be capable of: The company isn’t seeking yet to kit out planes with sensors to automatically detect and avoid obstacles on the ground, like animals or airport vehicles, or other aircraft in the air. A pilot will be required to be onboard to do that, as well as to correct any misunderstandings of air traffic control instructions.
, on top of pushing the boundaries with electric propulsion systems and vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.. Of Merlin’s roughly 70 employees, about 30 are working on safety certification. A retirement wave of Baby Boomers was already expected to fuel a pilot shortfall – CAE estimated in 2020 that 38% of commercial pilots globally. Pandemic disruptions have tipped the scales more, including increased volumes of air deliveries of e-commerce orders, further whetting investor interest in Merlin’s B Series fundraising round. George says the company reaped almost double the amount it initially set out to raise.
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