The near future of transportation might be self-driving cars, but Uber is envisioning a future where people are transported by unmanned flying cars.
During its second-annual flying car summit in Los Angeles, Calif., Uber unveiled its concept for how riders might get around by air.
And while Uber has a strong vision for what these vehicles might look like, it has no interest in actually building them itself.
Recode reporter Johana Bhuiyan, who is at Uber’s conference, wrote yesterday: “While Uber does not want to build these new autonomous aviation vehicles itself, it does hope to give its manufacturing and other research partners the tools to create this new technology in order to accelerate the path to having a commercial network of flying cars.”
The designs were “spearheaded by 30-year NASA veteran, and now Uber’s Director of Aviation Engineering, Mark Moore,” according to Uber’s press release.
For those fearing they may be cut in two when approaching the aircraft, have no fear. Uber says the “design is pedestrian friendly, as the propeller blades are as high as possible, leaving ample room for individuals to board and de-plane without having to duck.”
The flying cars, a.k.a. the electric vertical and takeoff landing vehicles, use a combination of propulsion as well as propellors to push off the ground vertically and land softly back the same way. The idea is this will be a more flexible means to get around by air because it can takeoff and land in more places and can be an easier way to travel longer distances.
So even while Uber is still figuring out how to safely produce semi-autonomous cars here on the ground, the company sees the future of transportation in the sky.
Source: Recode
https://www.recode.net/2018/5/9/17336762/uber-prototype-unmanned-flying-car-future-transportation