Clue Technologies is working on the development of wireless avionics capable of working on high-noise environments. The wireless aircraft is an amazing vision that would significantly change the world of aviation and take it to the next level. Wireless aircrafts (yes, no wire installed in the aircraft) could be a revolution similar to the introduction of jet engines or fly-by-wire because it will modify the current image and overall design applied to airplanes and air transport.
Wireless design has remarkable advantages for all kind of industries but it is particularly significant for aerospace. It results in easier layouts removing complex wiring design, aircraft weight (and hence fuel consumption) reduction and freeing designers from the obligation of additional safety margins because of risks associated to electrical failures. Moreover its implementation will drive maintenance time and cost savings thanks to avoiding all painful repair tasks related to wire miss functions.
The vision is not limited to communications but rather to achieve a complete wire-free aircraft, including electrical power. It will be designed with electrical power paths embedded in its structure to power the systems. In addition, all electronic items installed will be ultra low-power and will have their own long-life battery, connecting only the most critical items to power structure. Several redundant dissimilar Wireless Avionic Networks will connect all avionics equipment, using embedded or flexible waveguide for the safety related transmissions. Actuators and sensors low-range wireless networks will provide required control and monitoring functions interfacing with the avionics by means of wireless data concentrator units.
Despite that it is an encouraging vision, there is a long road ahead since wireless avionics communications are not mature enough: no wireless avionic protocols, no wireless avionic relevant applications.
Besides, wireless reliability and safety are yet sources of concern for the authorities. The aerospace industry is not experienced in this field yet, which causes certain worry, putting the certification process at risk.
As passionate problem solvers, at Clue we are very motivated to embrace these challenges. We are currently working to find solutions for the aerospace wireless issues, developing and testing fault-tolerant wireless avionics systems and researching new protocols that work in high-noise environments. We are convinced that wireless is the future of the aviation. And Clue will be there.