eVTOL Training with Mixed Reality: Limosa Showcases the Future of Air Travel with Varjo and Quantum3D
eVTOL manufacturer Limosa’s Varjo-based mixed reality simulator, developed in collaboration with Quantum3D, has become an invaluable gateway to showcase their aircraft in development and to share their vision for the future of aviation.
Founded in 2021 and based in Montreal, Limosa Inc. is pioneering the future of air transportation by developing electric and hybrid-electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft. Limosa’s goal is to usher in a new era of regional air transportation, delivering safety beyond traditional cars, speed comparable to airplanes, environmental sustainability, and exceptional flexibility. They are on track for commercialization by 2028, with the first experimental hybrid-powered aircraft expected to take flight by early 2026.
Flying Anywhere, Emitting Less
VTOL is a breakthrough technology that seamlessly blends the best of both aviation worlds: when needed, it can function like a helicopter, allowing you to fly and land on top of buildings, at heliports, vertiports, or in underserved areas where there is no runway available. But once in the air, the aircraft covers longer distances like a traditional fixed-wing plane.
In addition to the VTOL capability, Limosa’s aircraft is a hybrid-electric, significantly lowering emissions compared to traditional aircraft. Limosa’s aircraft also features Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) capability, enabling it to use runways for takeoffs and landings, which significantly reduces energy consumption compared to VTOL operations.
Limosa has a particular focus on configuring Hybrid eVTOL vehicles for air ambulance applications. In collaboration with Airmedic, a leading air ambulance operator in Quebec, they are developing the LimoMedic—a specialized aircraft designed to meet the unique demands of medical transport. Airmedic’s expertise is integral to designing the interior of the aircraft, as their operational experience is ensuring that it meets the unique needs and requirements of air ambulance services.
Challenge: How to Bring a Large-Scale Prototype to Life for Stakeholders
For an aircraft still in development, showcasing it to stakeholders—whether potential customers, partners, or investors—poses a challenge. Pictures and concept art alone can’t fully capture the experience of being inside the aircraft or appreciating its design.
Yet, for a product of this scale, building a physical prototype solely for demonstration is both costly and time-intensive. If changes are required after building a prototype, it can compound expenses and stretch the timeline even further.
While Limosa is actively building their experimental aircraft, it’s also not practical to transport full-scale models to air shows or events. This is where advanced and portable XR simulation technology steps in, providing an efficient answer to these challenges.
Solution: A Mixed Reality Simulator for Immersive Exploration
Limosa partnered with Quatum3D to create a cutting-edge simulator that brings their aircraft concept to life like never before. Their goal was to demonstrate the viability of XR for providing a compact, low-cost solution for eVTOL research, marketing, and training.
Using Quantum3D’s advanced mixed reality simulation technology and Varjo’s headset, this portable solution allows Limosa to showcase their aircraft to stakeholders anywhere in the world, providing them with a true-to-life sense of what the aircraft looks like and how it can be used.
By putting on the headset, users can walk around and explore the virtual aircraft, getting an up-close look at its dimensions, layout, and overall design. Inside, they’ll see a mixed reality blend of a real-life cockpit merging with the virtual environment, and everything they’d expect in a real aircraft: flight displays, throttles, controls, and even their own hands interacting with the instruments. Users can also customize elements of the interior design, like the aesthetics of the secondary structure, making it easy to explore different design options.
It’s not just a static view—users can enter the cockpit, take a seat as the pilot, and start flying the aircraft. The simulation places them in a detailed recreation of San Francisco Airport’s environment, where they can take off, fly around the airport, and experience cruising—just like in a real aircraft. The flight simulation allows them to experience the dynamics of the aircraft’s flight and get a realistic feel of its responsiveness.
“Mixed reality enhances the overall experience significantly. When you see the cockpit, the throttles, and all the controls, it gives you a much better sense of what you're doing.”
Hamid Hamidi - President and CEO of Limosa
Virtual Flight, Real Impact
The mixed reality solution has become an essential tool for Limosa to showcase their aircraft without the need to transport physical models. At various air shows and industry events, they’ve been able to give potential clients and partners the opportunity to experience the aircraft firsthand.
This same approach has proven invaluable in investor meetings. Visitors to Limosa’s office can step into the simulator and instantly get a true sense of how the aircraft will look and perform in the real world. Every guest is encouraged to try it, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
Hamid Hamidi, President and CEO of Limosa, recounts one memorable reaction: a pilot from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was particularly impressed by the intuitiveness of the virtual flight after testing the eVTOL simulator. “He noted how easy it was to fly this type of aircraft and how well the simulator interacted with the pilot,” Hamidi tells.
XR Simulation Drives Efficiency and Engagement
The advantages of the XR simulator’s portability, flexibility, and virtual reconfigurability are undeniable. Being able to assess critical design and functionality without a physical prototype is a game-changer that directly streamlines processes and results in savings. “It’s all about saving time and cost. Overall, the advantages of using VR and XR are immense in both development and stakeholder engagement,” Hamidi says.
eVTOL operations bring unique challenges, but the simulator allows Limosa to address these head-on, helping to prepare for real-world situations long before the aircraft takes to the skies. “These simulations are just helpful,” Hamidi emphasizes. “That’s why everyone in the industry is adopting these systems—they’ve become essential to the process.”
True-to-Life Simulations with Varjo
According to Paul Slade, Principal Software Engineer at Quantum3D, Varjo was the only head-mounted display available that provided mixed reality camera passthrough at a high enough resolution and clarity to be able to read and interact with their Garmin G1000 cockpit displays.
“The Varjo headset provides full 360-degree view of the virtual world while providing accurately masked passthrough regions to allow for natural interactions with the fight controls and instrumentation,” Slade says.
Limosa recognizes that Quantum3D’s years of expertise in the field meant they chose only the best tools for their projects. They have been equally impressed with the true-to-life clarity delivered by the Varjo headset. “The resolution provided by these headsets is excellent. I believe it meets a high standard in terms of visual clarity,” says Hamidi.
Vision to Prepare Pilots for Future Real-World Flight
Looking ahead, Limosa’s vision is to develop their eVTOL simulator to a point where it can be used for pilot training. Pilots will be able to undergo risk-free, comprehensive training in the safety of the simulator, and seamlessly transition to flying the actual aircraft with the same skills they’ve honed in the virtual environment.
Once fully developed, the eVTOL simulator will accurately depict not only the aircraft’s controls but also the surrounding environment—wind, temperatures, and other real-world factors— so that it behaves exactly like an actual aircraft’s flight. Limosa’s holistic goal is to help ensure every aspect of the aircraft’s operation is perfected before it takes flight.
“When we’re confident that the simulator mirrors the aircraft’s behavior down to the smallest detail, we’ll use it for pilot training,” Hamidi explains.
“But beyond that, it will be just as valuable for maintenance training and for modelling operational scenarios. These are the next steps in expanding our simulation technology.”
