Army Research Lab, Uber Join To Pursue Vertical Lift

The Army Research Laboratory’s research, development and engineering command and Uber Technologies Inc., have entered a relationship in which they will work together to develop and produce future vertical-lift technologies. In a May 8 announcement, the Army Research Laboratory described the effort as joint work aimed at producing the “first usable stacked co-rotating rotors or propellers.”
The system would ben incorporated into an aircraft with two such stacks, with each set of propellers rotating in opposite directions. Even though such a system never has been used to fly an aircraft, tests indicate that it could provide for improved performance and quieter operation.
Initially, the lab and Uber plan to spend $1 million on research.