Halo Aircraft

One eVTOL concept currently owned by Xeriant is called Halo, a unique aerial platform that uses a powered lift ducted fan system to seamlessly transition from vertical to forward flight, providing superior operational flexibility.  Halo’s patented design (U.S. Patent Nos.10,450,063 and 10,814,974)  features a pivoting ring-wing, dual shrouded contra-rotating impellers, and a central axle-mounted payload compartment with a globular shape, designed for high visibility hemispherical viewing. The original patent application filed by the inventor goes back approximately ten years, preceding many other drone or UAV patent filings and claims. Because the Halo patent allowances include multiple rotors, and alternative propulsion and control systems, there is significant room for design flexibility.  As a scalable and multi-purpose platform, the Halo’s size and capabilities can be modified depending on the mission requirements, from a drone or small frame UAV to possibly a heavy lift UAV or even a passenger transport aircraft.  Halo, when fully developed, is expected to compete favorably with other eVTOL UAV aircraft in terms of speed, acoustics, payload, maneuverability, efficiency, duration and safety.

Xeriant plans to introduce the Halo platform as a small to medium size high-performance UAV, which is primarily intended for commercial applications such as surveillance and imagery. Several companies are currently in discussions with Xeriant to develop a drone using the Halo configuration. Among Halo’s key advantages over typical open rotor UAVs are improved safety on the ground, low noise levels and the ability to operate in more confined environments. The strategy for initially introducing a UAV version of Halo includes low regulatory and certification hurdles, reduced development costs, and a relatively short timeline to market.  Halo was chosen to be a finalist out of approximately 70 companies to be a presenter at the November 2019 Florida Aerospace Capital Forum organized by Space Florida and the Florida Venture Forum.