In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the companies are also looking into ways to detect biological hazards like contagious viruses. Koniku has touted security as well as medical applications, with sniffers that can detect signs of cancer — in much the same way dogs can detect prostate cancer with extreme accuracy. “You wake up in the morning, you breathe on our device… and we are analyzing, in a longitudinal fashion, your state of health. That is one of our big visions,” Agabi said.

Devices that can supposedly test travelers for traces of dangerous chemicals have met with very limited success, so it’s easy to be skeptical about any new tech. However, the fact that it’s being tested by Airbus is a good sign for Koniku, a relatively small company with just 20 employees. Airbus has been working with Koniku since 2017 and said they plan to create “a game-changing, end-to-end security solution.”

The Alliance will push for governments to adopt high-altitude internet, of course, but it’ll also work on a cooperative environment with common specs and standards. The aim is ultimately to create a single “compelling message” to sell the concept, even if the individual companies end up competing with each other.

This comes roughly 10 months after Loon forged a deal with SoftBank’s HAPSMobile to press for high-altitude broadband.

Whether or not the HAPS Alliance succeed is far from certain. Loon has landed deals to supply internet to underserved people in places like Puerto Rico, Kenya and Peru, and has been venturing beyond its signature balloons to explore internet drones. In many ways, high-altitude internet is already off to a good startIt’s still early days, though, and the Alliance will need to show that there’s a roadmap for its technology, not just a set of well-meaning ideas.

The lithium battery is short-lived, to put it mildly — the White Lightning can last for just five minutes of all-out racing, and 10 minutes of reserve flight at lower power. You won’t see any endurance races with this one. Air Race E chief Jeff Walkman instead describes the airplane and the tournament as a “test bed” that will foster electric flight as a whole.

The racing tourney doesn’t kick off until 2020, and some details have yet to be nailed down. Air Race E is only poised to name the eight teams for the first race later this week. It could represent a milestone for high-speed electric flight, though, and the technological discoveries made here could translate to everyday air travel in the years ahead.

The partners have been working on a successor that should build on the lessons learned from the first-generation robot. The new CIMON will have a “more robust” computer, better mics, improved flight control and a more conversational system that recognizes speech, determines intent and includes a call history. It’s expected to reach the ISS in December for further tests.

The station is quickly becoming a hub for robotics for multiple countries. The US recently sent its Astrobee cube robot for tests, while Russia just sent the humanoid Fyodor robot into orbit. Multiple major space agencies see robot helpers as vital for a future when astronauts will spend longer periods away from Earth, and they each have different ideas as to how to alleviate burdens and let crews focus on their missions.

You wouldn’t have to wait long, either, as taxis could take off every six minutes.

There are already machinations underway. Aeroports de Paris has to pick a site for a flying taxi hub in Paris by the end of 2019, and it should be ready within 18 months. The team will test the link through an “existing helicopter corridor,” according to ADP’s Edward Arkwright.

There are many pieces that have to fall into place for this to work. The taxis themselves have to both be safe enough to fly and last long enough on battery. The partners also have to ensure that the taxis mesh well with existing infrastructure and regulations. If all goes smoothly, though, you may not have to hop into a ground-based vehicle until you’re already in the City of Lights. This could also serve as a test case for other cities that want to see how well flying taxis cope with major events.