In Florida, the flying police vehicles that have always belonged to science fiction movies could come to reality. The Florida Polytechnic University Police Department presented Astro, a one-seat electric aircraft developed by Jetson that can take off on land vertically, like a drone, but can carry a driver inside.
According to the university, this is the first law enforcement agency in the nation to integrate this kind of vehicle into its operations. The name is a double reference to science and also the dog from the classic animated TV show The Jetsons.
What is Astro, and how does it work
Astro is a Jetson ONE, an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle known as an eVTOL. It doesn’t need a runway, and, unlike a regular drone, it can carry an officer to the scene of an emergency.
Astro’s main characteristics are:
- It supports a pilot of up to 210 pounds
- Can fly up to 1500 feet above the ground
- Has about 20 minutes of flight time per charge
According to local reports, the eVTOL costs around $150,000.
Jetson’s CEO, Stéphan D’haene, said the company fast-tracked the university’s order despite a three-year waiting list. “We believe that this project is so important and aligns so much with what we want to do that we made it a priority,” he said according to Florida’s Polytechnic article.
What can police use the Astro for
Aaron Murray, the university’s police chief, said Astro will help monitor the camps and the surrounding land; reach areas that are hard to access by car; search for missing people; support recovery efforts after storms; and deliver emergency supplies.
“Advanced air mobility is a technology on the rise, and we can either choose to be proactive or reactive as it develops,” Murray said.
The university is in the final stages of seeking approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and hopes to get it between November and December.