mnttech: The FAA certification aspects of this are just mind blowing.
Maybe. If they keep this as a secondary means of control authority it should move forward somewhat quickly via the FAA Safer Skies Initiative. The latest SE rotorcraft autopilot approvals opened a door to flight control augmentation across the board. And especially on the EMS side where all previous regulatory “safety” attempts have not reduced the accident rates as thought. Regardless, I think their biggest hurdle will the use of consumer electronics for the interface and how they stack up to international EMI/lightning protection aviation standards.
rotorfan: It fascinates me that many of today’s advances, particularly in avionics and electronics, are developed in the experimental world, then migrate “up” to the certificated sector.
The migration route has more to do with vendor economic/legal issues than regulatory issues. There are existing regulatory pathways to install the non-certified equipment in certified aircraft today.