Departments
    Notable & Newsworthy
    Sensata has developed a new fly-by-wire inceptor for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and has provided prototypes to several advanced air mobility manufacturers.
    Sensata Technologies Develops Passive Inceptor for the Advanced Air Mobility Market

    Sensata Technologies Develops Passive Inceptor for the Advanced Air Mobility Market

    07/18/2022

    ­Sensata Technologies announced it has developed a new fly-by-wire inceptor for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and has provided prototypes to several advanced air mobility manufacturers.

    A passive inceptor is a cockpit control device through which pilot inputs are collected and transmitted to actuators via the fly-by-wire system on the vehicle. Inceptors typically use position sensors like RVDTs to provide the inceptor stick’s actual positions to output to the flight control system.

    Sensata combines its world class position sensors, multi-axis controllers and expertise in other cockpit controls to provide inceptor solutions that adhere to the strict safety and reliability design requirements in order to achieve airworthiness certification and are ideal for advanced air mobility, urban air mobility, trainers and other electric aircraft applications. Sensata’s passive inceptor is available in 1, 2 or 3 axis movement designs, with each axis utilizing at least three rotary variable differential transformers (RVDTs) for precise position output.

    The most common use of the 3-axis inceptor is to control the pitch, roll and yaw of the vehicle and features self-centering and independently customizable operating force in each axis. The grips that the pilot interfaces with can be tailored to each vehicle’s operational requirements, including integrated switch functionality.

    For more information, please go here.

    Related

    Power Systems Design

    146 Charles Street
    Annapolis, Maryland 21401 USA

    Power Systems Design

    Power Systems Design is a leading global media platform serving the power electronics design engineering community. It delivers in-depth technical content, industry news, and product insights to engineers and decision-makers developing advanced power systems and technologies.

    Published 12× per year across North America and Europe, Power Systems Design is distributed through online and fully digital editions, complemented by eNewsletters, webinars, and multimedia content. The platform covers key areas including power conversion, semiconductors, renewable energy, automotive electrification, AI power systems, and industrial applications—supporting innovation across the global electronics industry.