• by Chuck Martin , August 2, 2018

Boeing plans to open a new innovation center with MIT to work on the development of autonomous aircraft.

The new Boeing Aerospace and Autonomy Center will become the first tenant of the Kendall Square Initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

Boeing is leasing 100,000 square feet of research and lab space inside the new 17-floor building, where it will house Boeing and its subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, the maker of automated drones and aviation parts, which Boeing acquired last year. The unit will focus on designing, building and flying autonomous aircraft along with enabling technologies, according to the announcement by Boeing.

"Boeing is leading the development of new autonomous vehicles and future transportation systems that will bring flight closer to home," stated Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief technology officer. "By investing in this new research facility, we are creating a hub where our engineers can collaborate with other Boeing engineers and research partners around the world and leverage the Cambridge innovation ecosystem."

The Boeing investment follows the creation of Boeing Next, the internal organization that teamed researchers and projects in the company, including the development of a next-generation airspace management system to enable the coexistence of piloted and autonomous air vehicles.

Boeing is not alone in working on passenger-carrying, flying vehicles. Rolls-Royce has plans to create a flying taxi cab for four to five passengers and Airbus is working on creating an air transportation network involving electric, pilotless air taxis.