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YIVTOL in Shanghai Securities News and China Securities Journal

Safe Flight for All

WWW.YIVTOL.COM

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Credit: Shanghai Securities News, China Securities Journal

Original Link: 英武智能陈源：让低空飞行器从梦想飞进现实-上海证券报·中国证券网

Shanghai Securities News, China Securities Journal (Reporters Li Dan, Li Yanzheng) – Recently, Chen Yuan, founder of Yingwu Intelligent (branded as YIVTOL), was exclusively interviewed by the Shanghai Securities Newscolumn "Young Entrepreneurs," sharing the company's technological breakthroughs and commercial practices in the low-altitude economy sector.

As urban low-altitude airspace becomes a new blue ocean for industrial upgrading, this entrepreneur, driven by a childhood dream of flight, has led his team to launch four generations of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) products in less than a year. He is turning the sci-fi scenario of "air mobility" into an attainable commercial reality, emerging as a new force propelling the commercialization of China's low-altitude industry.

Core Innovation Breaking Industry Barriers

"The safety and performance of aircraft are our R&D lifelines," Chen Yuan said during the interview, his words reflecting the rigor of an engineering background. This meticulousness stems from his early experience in the communications sector—where the universality of communication technology in aerospace laid the foundation for venturing into aircraft development—and from the team's over decade of experience in gyrocopter R&D and airworthiness certification. Since Yingwu Intelligent's establishment in October 2024, R&D has remained its strategic core.

The competitiveness of low-altitude aircraft hinges on two key systems: propulsion and flight control. YIVTOL's core product, the fourth-generation S-ONE eVTOL, innovatively adopts a ducted propulsion architecture—an industry-recognized "second-generation aircraft propulsion solution"—that resolves the safety hazards associated with traditional multi-rotor open propellers. "An open propeller striking a foreign object can damage the airframe and potentially cause accidents; this is a key pain point for widespread adoption," Chen explained. The ducted structure provides a physical barrier via an external shroud, enhancing safety while also being aerodynamically optimized for performance gains: 40-50% increased thrust output, over 30% noise reduction, effectively balancing safety, power, and comfort, making it suitable for manned transportation, inspection, and other scenarios.

The flight control system, the "brain" of the aircraft, is a core focus of the company's collaboration with universities. "Beihang University has decades of expertise in flight control technology; its algorithms are mature in both military and civilian applications, providing us with foundational support," Chen stated. The jointly developed flight control system processes data—such as airflow, obstacles, and flight paths—in real-time, enabling centimeter-level hovering and millisecond-level obstacle avoidance in complex urban low-altitude environments, significantly enhancing safety. Meanwhile, support from Shenzhen University in structural design, composite materials, and simulation testing has enabled the S-ONE to achieve a "two-fold breakthrough" in lightweighting and durability: The airframe uses high-strength carbon fiber composites, meeting the sub-116 kg ultralight criteria under CCAR-91 regulations, with wind resistance up to Level 8 and strong corrosion resistance, ensuring stable operation in complex environments and facilitating deployment across diverse regions.

Cost control is the "final mile" for technology implementation. Chen revealed that the company incorporates automotive industry concepts like "modular design" and "standardized testing." Through component reuse, centralized procurement, and simulation replacing some physical flight tests, the R&D cycle has been shortened—evidenced by four product generations in six months—avoiding "redundant R&D" and "high trial-and-error costs." Currently, Yingwu Intelligent has reduced product startup costs to one-tenth of the industry average.

Moving from Lab to Diverse Application Scenarios

"Technology cannot remain merely as patents; it must find practical, profitable application scenarios," Chen emphasized repeatedly during the interview, prioritizing "scenario-first." Facing the current landscape of the low-altinity economy being in a policy cultivation period with airspace not fully deregulated, the team avoids crowded "high-end technology" sectors. Instead, they focus on "lightweight, high-economic-value, rapid-deployment" scenarios to build a "technology-scenario-cash flow"闭环.

Low-altitude tourism is the first breakthrough "entry point." "The public's aspiration for flight represents a fundamental market demand," Chen noted. With consumption upgrading, tourism experiences are shifting from "ground" to "air," but traditional general aviation aircraft, costing tens of thousands of RMB per hour and requiring stringent licenses, make this largely inaccessible. YIVTOL's light eVTOLs, with advantages of "low cost, ease of operation, and high safety," offer experiential services in scenic spots and resorts. Examples include camps in Luoyang, demonstration centers in Chengdu's Eastern New Area and Wuhan, and a base in Shenzhen's Shekou. In the future, tourists might spend just a small amount for a low-altitude sightseeing flight.

Patrol and inspection represent an expanding "essential sector." YIVTOL's eVTOLs, with their patented "manned capability + 2-minute battery swap" advantage, demonstrate value in urban management, security, and power line inspection. During security operations for a city sports event, their eVTOLs assisted in identifying three potential hazards, with the "air-ground coordination" model gaining recognition.

Logistics is the "future potential sector," for which the company is preparing proactively. While low-altitude logistics faces challenges like airspace management and last-mile delivery, YIVTOL has optimized its products: adjusting payload structures to carry hundreds of kilograms, developing smart cargo compartments for automated loading/unloading and temperature control, and collaborating with logistics firms to build "dispatch platforms" for multi-drone coordination and route optimization.

"Government-enterprise collaboration" is a core strategy for scenario deployment. YIVTOL proactively engages with pilot cities like Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Wuhan, participating in demonstration projects. In September 2025, YIVTOL obtained the nation's first special flight certificate for an ultralight eVTOL, paving the way for commercialization and mass production. Chen believes "following policy guidance and working closely with practical scenarios" is the optimal path in the industry's early stages.

Riding the Tailwinds of the Low-Altitude Economy for Long-Term Development

"By 2030, aerial vehicles might become a common travel option for ordinary people, much like new energy vehicles are today," Chen expressed with confidence about the future. This confidence stems from favorable policies and industrial advantages: China accounts for over 70% of the global drone market, leads in NEV sales for eight consecutive years, and eVTOLs share about 80% supply chain overlap (e.g., batteries, motors, control systems) with these sectors, providing solid foundation. Industry forecasts predict China's low-altitude economy will reach RMB 1.6 trillion by 2027, with manned low-altitude transportation as a core growth driver.

Policy incentives are key catalysts. Recent state council guidelines promoting sports consumption explicitly mentioned "promoting low-altitude sports consumption." "Policies provide reassurance, clarifying commercial direction," Chen said, expecting them to attract more capital and players, accelerating industrial chain maturity.

Technological integration is the future core competency. Chen views low-altitude aircraft as part of an "AI + Robotics + Low-Altitude Transport" ecosystem—where autonomous eVTOLs, unmanned vessels, and ground robots will collaborate across air, land, and water. YIVTOL is already exploring cross-sector layouts: introducing AI large language models into flight controls for better decision-making; partnering with robotics firms on "air-ground" rescue missions; and participating in local air traffic management development. "AI makes aircraft 'smarter,' robotics expands operational boundaries, and ATC ensures safety. Combining these three unlocks the low-altitude economy's true value."

The company has a clear "three-year plan": short-term focus on ultralight aircraft for high economy and fast deployment; medium-term iteration towards "air taxis" jointly with automakers; long-term goal of building a full "R&D + Operations + Ecosystem" industrial chain, making low-altitude travel accessible to more people.

"We don't seek a 'one-step solution' but believe in continuous iteration, matching products to scenarios, surviving to develop, and breaking through during development," Chen concluded.

In the vast blue ocean of the low-altitude economy, YIVTOL's practices offer a model of "technology foundation, scenario breakthrough, ecosystem win-win." From a childhood flight dream to advancing industrial reality, Chen Yuan demonstrates that when dreams resonate with technology and industry, they can change the world. "The low-altitude economy isn't an 'aerial luxury' but a transformation concerning everyone's mobility. We aim to enable more people to fly safely, bringing eVTOLs from dream to reality." As technology, applications, and policies mature, this "flight dream" is becoming a tangible future.