Did you know #29| Dubai first flying-taxi in the world!

Dubai staged a test flight on Monday for what could soon possibly be the world's first drone taxi service in the world, as per a report by Reuters.

The ‘flying taxi’, developed by German drone firm Volocopter, soared to a height of 200 metres and flew for about five minutes. The taxi looks like a small, twin-seater helicopter cabin which is topped by a wide hoop powered by 18 propellers.

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (2nd R) stands in front of the flying taxi in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Courtesy: Reuters)

The maiden run for the helicopter taxi took place at Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed stadium.

The helicopter drone is designed to fly for a maximum duration of 30 minutes and without a remote control guidance.

The helicopter comes equipped with plenty of fail-safes that include backup batteries, rotors and a couple of parachutes for those worst-case scenarios.

German firm Volocopter, however, is not the only one experimenting with new modes of air public transport and already has its horns locked with several European and US firms that are innovating on creating the next go-to mode of futuristic public transport, whether that be a driverless car or a vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

One of the leading one in that list is aviation industry veteran AirBus who is in line to create an airborne self-piloting taxi by 2020, Kitty Hawk, a company backed by Google co-founder Larry Page and Uber which is also working on flying taxis.

“Implementation would see you using your smartphone, having an app, and ordering a Volocopter to the next voloport near you. The volocopter would come and autonomously pick you up and take you to your destination,” CEO Florian Reuter said as per the Reuters report.
Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is seen inside the flying taxi in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Courtesy: Reuters)

The taxis are GPS-enabled and will be embedded with the ability to detect and deal with air traffic or obstacles on the way.

Conclusion-: The benefits of a flying car or a flying taxi service seem obvious enough. For one, you’d avoid the usual traffic congestion of busy urban centers. Secondly, Volocopter 2X is safe and quiet, thanks to the 18 rotors that lift it off the ground.

According to the company, it won’t require heavy infrastructure support, either. “One moment, it is the replacement for a bridge that is being repaired, the other moment it is an air taxi used as a shuttle to a trade fair,” they explain on their website. This would effectively eliminate the typical concerns regarding the use of VTOLs in cities, such as the ones Elon Musk previously raised.

Volocopter isn’t the only company working on a flying car or an AAT. Uber has had plans for a flying vehicle and an aerial taxi service in the works for a while now, and a number of both established companies and smaller startups have their own designs for such vehicles, increasing the odds that flying cars will have a place in the future of transportation.

Sources-:1,2.

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