KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - GIBO Holdings Ltd. in Kuala Lumpur announced a strategic collaboration with Japan Benling Zhushi Clubs Limited in Tokyo to develop a crewed next-generation electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft integrated with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) for mission-critical operations.
The partnership will focus on building an intelligent eVTOL platform intended for disaster investigation, search-and-rescue missions in rugged terrain, geological and mining exploration, and operations in remote or hazardous environments.
At the center of the collaboration is the co-development and training of AI compute models designed specifically for manned eVTOL systems. The models are intended to support high-precision autonomous assistance, environmental perception, structural hazard interpretation, geospatial mapping, and real-time situational analysis.
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GIBO will contribute its AI computation engine and autonomous sensing algorithms, while Japan Benling Zhushi Clubs Limited will provide expertise in lightweight aviation structures, electric propulsion, and compact aircraft system design. The companies said the combined capabilities are aimed at creating a new class of intelligent eVTOL aircraft optimized for high-risk and time-sensitive missions.
The manned eVTOL platform is being engineered to operate in environments where conventional ground vehicles, drones, and helicopters face limitations. These include collapsed or unstable disaster zones, mountainous and forested regions, areas near underground geological formations, and locations requiring detailed aerial surveys for mining and resource assessment.
According to the companies, AI-enabled functions will include real-time 3D environmental reconstruction, thermal and motion sensing, target or survivor identification, advanced terrain analysis, and autonomous flight-path optimization in low-visibility or adverse conditions.
GIBO’s AI system is expected to serve as the core intelligence layer of the aircraft, enabling autonomous navigation, obstacle detection, terrain reasoning, precision landing, and continuous environmental mapping. The multimodal AI architecture is also designed to support mission-level decision-making, including structural damage assessment, geological pattern interpretation, hazard detection, and route planning.
Potential customers include emergency response agencies, geological and mining organizations, fire and rescue services, utilities, infrastructure operators, environmental protection agencies, and security organizations. The companies also said they plan to explore future applications in urban air mobility, autonomous aerial logistics, and AI-enabled aviation robotics as the partnership advances.
