Most Read: Flying Taxi Company Debuts Electric Jet Vehicle in US; Boston Dynamics Robot Dog Learns Predictive Maintenance

Here are the most-read stories on IoT World Today this week.

Flying Taxi Company Debuts Electric Jet Vehicle in US

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet maker Lilium introduced its electric jet into the U.S. market with its debut at a Houston, Texas, airport.

The electric aerial vehicle (EAV) is being introduced by EMCJET, a Houston-based aircraft brokerage firm that plans to showcase the jet at Galaxy FBO (fixed base operator).

Lilium partnered with Galaxy FBO allowing the EAV to be featured at its Houston Hobby Airport, Conroe North Houston Regional Airport and The Woodlands Heliport.

The eVTOL jet has an operating range of about 110 miles and would be capable of connecting routes such as Houston Hobby Airport to Galveston, Houston Spaceport to College Station and The Woodlands to Galveston.

Find out more

Boston Dynamics Robot Dog Learns Predictive Maintenance

Boston Dynamics Robot Dog Spot got new updates giving the quadruped new capabilities for managing missions and data. 

The first is related to Spot’s acoustic leak detection, which allows operators to perform predictive maintenance alleviating unplanned downtime and reducing costs. 

Boston Dynamics has added acoustic vibration inspection to Spot’s toolkit enabling it to conduct ultrasonic inspections of rotating equipment by listening to signs of wear and tear to predict and prevent breakdowns. 

Related:Flying Taxi Company Debuts Electric Jet Vehicle in US

This capability helps operators identify early signs of bearing failures before they lead to a breakdown so they can predict and repair them avoiding unplanned breakdowns. 

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Flying Taxi Startup in China Raises $57M

Chinese flying taxi company Vertaxi has raised $29 million in a new financing round bringing the total raised to more than $57 million.

Vertaxi is developing a five-passenger eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle to be used to transport cargo and then passengers.

The Vertaxi Matrix 1 flying vehicle would have up to 20 rotors, 16 of which would be for lift, and a range of 150 miles, according to the company.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China earlier this year accepted the application for type certification of the M1B unmanned cargo eVTOL vehicle.

The company expects to receive its manned airworthiness certificate in 2027.

Find out about Vertaxi's plans

New Robot-to-Drone Delivery Service Launches in Dallas

Wing is teaming with Serve Robotics to take autonomous deliveries to a new level in Texas.

The drone delivery provider, owned by Google parent Alphabet, and the sidewalk bot delivery specialist are partnering to offer a novel solution they claim could “redefine” the entire last-mile delivery sector.

Related:Boston Dynamics Robot Dog Learns Predictive Maintenance

Their new pilot in Dallas will see the launch of an innovative new robot-to-drone service, in which food ordered from participating restaurants will be picked up at the curbside by a Serve bot and then taken to a Wing drone AutoLoader a few blocks away, for aerial delivery to customers located anywhere within 6 miles.

See the delivery service in action

Flying Taxi Company Unveils 5-Passenger Vehicle

Air taxi developer Beta Technologies in Burlington, Vermont, has provided an early look at the passenger version of its fixed-wing VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle Alia.

The electric aerial vehicle (EAV) is designed to carry five passengers and a pilot, as well as carry-on luggage.

The passenger version of the EAV is expected to launch after the Beta cargo and medical versions, which are targeted for 2025.

The passenger-carrying EAV would be used for intra-city and regional transportation.

Take a look around the EAV