Air taxis are coming to city rooftops, New research tackles the noise

Modelling by Munich Aeroacoustics suggests the Aeroberm™ vertipad could make air taxi take-offs quieter for neighbours, especially on rooftops

MUNICH, GERMANY, November 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- An innovative fractal surface on a vertiport could reduce the noise reaching surrounding neighbourhoods, according to a first parametric simulation study by German specialist consultancy Munich Aeroacoustics (MUAA). The study examined pad-level noise treatment using the Aeroberm™ fractal panel developed by Melbourne company Skyportz.

Background: Swinburne’s fractal panel research

The study follows computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research by Swinburne University of Technology, presented at the Aeroberm launch at Vertical Flight Society Forum 82 in Florida in May 2026. That work indicated the fractal surface dissipates rotor downwash and outwash energy considerably faster than flat or grated surfaces.

Because rotor noise is closely linked to airflow near the ground, those findings raised the question of whether the same surface could also reduce noise. The MUAA study is a first step in answering it. The results have been submitted as an abstract for Vertical Flight Society Forum 83 in 2027, co-authored by Dr Michael Bauer of MUAA and Professor Justin Leontini of Swinburne.

The noise problem at the pad:

Noise at the vertiport itself, particularly while rotors spin with the aircraft still on the pad, can matter more to nearby residents and workers than overflights. MUAA’s earlier LONI (Low-noise Vertiport) project, funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, found very limited options for reducing it, especially on rooftops, where walls and earth berms are rarely practical.

The study:

Using its FLYO^® software and a simulation model similar to the one established in the publicly funded PAULA project, MUAA compared eight hypothetical pad treatments of increasing noise reduction against an untreated pad. Each was modelled at ground level and 30 metres above ground, giving 18 simulations. Sound Exposure Level (SEL) was calculated on the flight path centreline from 100 metres behind the pad to 700 metres along the departure path.

Key findings:

• Treating the pad improved modelled community noise exposure, with benefits extending beyond the pad itself.
• The largest modelled reductions were behind the vertiport, where the aircraft does not fly over, reaching around 5 dB in the most effective hypothetical configuration.
• At the elevated vertiport, benefits reached further: reductions of around 1 dB were still present 300 metres away, where the ground-level case showed none.
• Beyond 300 metres, the modelled benefit largely fell away.
The rooftop finding is significant because elevated vertiports have previously been found acoustically disadvantaged, lacking both ground effects and practical shielding options.

“The first studies of using Aeroberm fractal panels on a vertipad are proving that this could be a promising measure for noise reduction. On the one hand, it helps to lower the immediate noise impact on the surrounding area, whether office buildings or residential neighbourhoods. On the other hand, it can serve to support the development of the emerging sector of novel, individual air mobility. Investigating an elevated platform is far more than just a logical next step,” said Dr Michael Bauer, Managing Director, Munich Aeroacoustics.

“Swinburne University of Technology’s research showed us how the Aeroberm™ fractal panel tames rotor airflow. This acoustic modelling from Munich Aeroacoustics suggests the same surface could also become part of the noise solution, particularly for rooftop sites in our cities. The priority now is laboratory and sandbox testing to put real numbers on the panel’s acoustic performance,” said Clem Newton-Brown OAM, founder and CEO of Skyportz.

ENDS


About Aeroberm™

Aeroberm™ is Skyportz’s patented modular vertipad system, built on a fractal panel surface designed to dissipate rotor downwash and outwash. Multiple patent applications have been filed internationally.

About Munich Aeroacoustics

Munich Aeroacoustics UG (MUAA), founded in 2018, draws on more than 20 years of aerospace acoustics research, focusing on aircraft external noise, environmental noise and noise annoyance. Since 2019 it has published more than 20 papers on urban air mobility noise.

Media contact
Clem Newton-Brown OAM
Founder and CEO, Aeroberm (a Skyportz company)
Call/WhatsApp: +61 411 255 179
Email: clem@aeroberm.com
www.aeroberm.com

Clem Newton-Brown
Skyportz
+61 411 255 179
clem@skyportz.com
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