Clive Sinclair recognised for its importance in the early days of the British home computer industry. Sinclair Research also produced the TV80, a flatscreen portable mini television utilising an ingenious cathode ray tube however, LCD television technology was in advanced development and the Sinclair FTV1 (TV80) was a commercial flop, only 15,000 units being produced. Knighted in 1983, Sinclair formed Sinclair Vehicles and released the Sinclair C5, a battery electric vehicle that was also a commercial failure. Since then Sinclair has concentrated on personal transport, including the A-bike, a folding bicycle for commuters that weighs and folds down small enough to be
Personal air vehicle breakthroughs. A ground transport alternative is enabled by unmanned aircraft technologies: Autonomous Systems and electric propulsion. Barriers include aviation safety, airworthiness, operating costs, usability, airspace integration, aircraft noise and emissions, tackled first by small UAS certification then experience. Other names discussed include PIVITOLs (Personal Vertical TakeOff vehicles), Air-cars, PACs (Personal AirCraft), AVs (Air Vehicles). The first technical paper to explain the difference in vehicle characteristics between PAVs and existing General Aviation single engine piston aircraft was "Personal Air Vehicles: A Rural/Regional and Intra-Urban On-Demand Transportation System" by Mark D. Moore (the NASA PAV Sector Manager) from NASA Langley Research Center.