Courtland “Court” Bivens is the chief of engineering in the Aerospace, Transportation, and Advanced System (ATAS) Laboratory at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). At GTRI, Bivens is responsible for cultivating relationships between technology-related businesses, academia, and Georgia Tech faculty researchers. GTRI has extensive capabilities related to UAV technologies, design, and analysis, and has experience in conducting the test and evaluation of aircraft performance.
“I view urban air mobility as a natural extension of the growth of an advanced transportation-focused civilization in Atlanta,” Bivens says. “Atlanta has a rich history of being a hub for transportation … and today Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport has the highest passenger and logistics traffic in the world and is a major international hub.”
Bivens is an expert in systems engineering. “Systems engineering is especially relevant to the planning and development of a technologically incomparable regional urban air mobility capability,” he explains. “We will need to think about not only the vehicles, autonomy, communication networks, operations, and FAA airworthiness concerns, but also all of the additional supporting infrastructure and personnel that a successful UAM capability will necessitate. A systems engineering approach will allow us to visualize the future and optimize the interactions between the different systems and better understand how one decision can affect others. The more fidelity you add to your systems engineering model, the better answers you can find for what outcome you want to foster.”