AIRBUS - 2020 Universal Registration Document
1. Information on the Company’s Activities /
1.1 Presentation of the Company
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for dramatically reducing the time needed for wing stressing on the A321ULR, and a project with SATAIR to use Artificial intelligence to better predict the optimum deployment of spares inventories worldwide. The Wayfinder project is developing a scalable and certifiable platform for Autonomy and Machine Learning to enable future autonomous ight projects. In 2020, Wayfinder successfully delivered algorithms for detection of runway features for the ATTOL demonstrator enabling fully autonomous computer vision landing of an A350 Flight Test aircraft. In 2020 Wayfinder started Flight Testing on a Beech Baron 58 aircraft for rapidly developing hardware and software for mass data collection. The Company’s UTM project is focussed on integrating UAS into aviation with the aim of servicing all forms of airborne traffic and using the UTM space to introduce and test state of the art digital methods for future ATM systems. The Company’s UTM is one of the first FAA approved Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (“ LANNC ”) providers for drone ights in controlled airspace, and is working with DroneDeploy to provide this service to the market. Airbus China Innovation Center (“ACIC”) ACIC, based in Shenzhen, is the first Innovation Centre set up by the Company in Asia. Its mission is to fully leverage China’s local innovation ecosystem – including talents, partners and resources – combining this with the Company’s expertise in aerospace to discover promising technologies, to identify solutions enabling new services and to fast-track delivery of innovation projects. Manufacturing Innovation The team is tasked with leveraging China’s strength in advanced manufacturing to deliver value to the Company’s final assembly lines. It is developing computer vision for work ow/safety, smart tooling, automation in logistics, industrial connectivity, remote inspection and IoT / big data. Prototypes / solutions have been developed and implemented in production environments. Cabin Experience Flexible display use cases have been presented to selected customers with positive feedback. The Cabin Wi-Fi application demonstrator integrated on the A350 MSN002, 3 rd party applications were integrated on the Shenzhen Lab to enrich the offer to Chinese customers. Turning to the Company’s strategic project Keep Trust in Air Travel, the team set up a contractual framework with a local supplier to provide an antimicrobial polish, which disinfects cabin surfaces for at least three months after its application. This is expected to come to market in the first half of 2021. Tech Lab Wireless sensor development is: a more cost-efficient way to collect data from ight tests via wireless connection, being developed in cooperation with Airbus Helicopter engineering. Phase I was delivered in June 2020. Phase II is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2021. A battery testing lab is: screening and testing the latest battery technology in China.
The E-Fan family of technology demonstrators aimed to demonstrate all-electric and hybrid-electric ight. In April 2020, the Company and partner Rolls-Royce jointly decided to end the E-Fan X demonstrator project. E-Fan X had successfully achieved its three main initial goals: – – launching and testing the feasibility of a serial hybrid-electric propulsion system in a demonstrator aircraft; – – gaining insight to develop a more focused roadmap on how to progress on our ambitious de-carbonisation commitments; – – laying a foundation for the future industry-wide adoption and regulatory acceptance of alternative-propulsion commercial aircraft. The ZEROe concept planes revealed in September 2020 unveiled the Company’s investigation and research into hydrogen-based propulsion. The ambition is supported builds on E-Fan X’s technology bricks as well as a follow-up demonstrator. Airbus UpNext has also engaged in the development of an electrical powertrain intending to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of cryogenic and super-conducting technologies for varying power-level applications. The Autonomous Taxi, Take-off and Landing (“ ATTOL ”) demonstrator has successfully leveraged computer vision technologies and techniques to enable commercial aircraft to navigate and detect obstacles during taxi, take off, approach and landing. In April 2020, the world’s-first autonomous vision- based ight combining the three functions (taxi/take-off/landing) was successfully performed by an Airbus A350. This marked the completion of the ATTOL demonstrator, a new demonstrator will follow testing the next steps. The Fello’Fly aims to prove the technical, operational and economic viability of wake-energy retrieval for commercial aircraft. In September 2020, a collaboration with Frenchbee and SAS Scandinavian Airlines was publicly announced. In addition, the demonstrator team is partnering with France’s Direction des services de la navigation aérienne (“ DSNA ”), the UK’s NATS, and EUROCONTROL. This consortium will support the demonstration of the operational feasibility of the project. The TELEO aims at providing seamless smart routing in satellite constellations (LEO and GEO). In August 2020, it was agreed that the ARABSAT BADR-8 platform (to be built by the Company) would host the experimental TELEO optical communications payload. The satellite is scheduled for launch in 2023. A new Airbus UpNext demonstrator focuses on simplifying VTOL‑craft mission preparation and control. It will include a demonstrator aiming at flight testing high performance wings is included. Acubed (A3) Acubed is the Company’s innovation centre in Silicon Valley. Its mission is to provide a lens into the future of the industry, transforming risk into opportunity to build the future of ight now. The Advanced Digital Design and Manufacturing (“ ADAM ”) project aims to develop methods and tools to drastically reduce development lead-time and production cost by leveraging emerging digital technologies. In 2020, ADAM successfully demonstrated its added-value through several use cases, working collaboratively with Airbus Americas Engineering, SATAIR and Airbus in Europe. Use cases include project EVE
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Airbus / Registration Document 2020
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