The flight not only demonstrated the capabilities of Joby’s autonomy tech, but also showed that the company’s ambitions extend well beyond its pursuit of electric air taxis.
Joby Aviation said the cross-country trip, which it described as the “first-ever autonomous flight across the United States,” included autonomous taxiing, takeoffs, navigation, and landings.
The aircraft was remotely supervised from Joby’s headquarters in California and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
While Joby’s electric air taxi service gets much of the attention, the company has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense and is increasingly pushing deeper into the military sector.
Joby took its most meaningful step into defense in August when it acquired Resonant Sciences for $500 million in cash and stock.