Get the latest insights from the AAMBITION Podcast delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe HERE. ++++ Episode 39 of the “Aerospace Ambition Podcast” featuring Maxime Gariel (Joby Aviation) and Irina Muntean (Technical University of Munich) is out! Talking Points How did Maxime’s role change when Xwing was acquired by Joby?Why invest in eVTOLs when helicopters already exist?From a technical perspective, could aircraft fly autonomously today, even without full regulatory approval?How far along is Joby in developing autonomous capabilities for its aircraft, and what are the biggest technological challenges to achieving full autonomy in urban air mobility?How does Joby leverage AI-driven technologies to enhance navigation, obstacle detection, and real-time decision-making in its autonomous systems?Guest Maxime is a leader in autonomous flight. He has started his career with internships at NASA, earned a PhD from Georgia Tech, and then did post-doctoral research at MIT, all of which in the field of aviation. After MIT, he worked at Rockwell Collins and later co-founded X-Wing in 2016, where he was president and CTO. X-Wing develops modular autonomy technology, which makes any aircraft capable of flying autonomously. This summer, X-Wing was acquired by Joby Aviation and Maxime now leads their autonomy team.