Are we there yet?
Make way, self-driving cars! Airborne transportation is the way of the future.
I hate to say it, but if you just got on board with the concept of automated transportation, then you’re already a step behind. According to Airbus CEO Tom Enders, the company plans to complete and test an airborne taxi by the end of this year. No joke. Flying cars are in our near future.
Going vertical
Over the years, Airbus has been developing the technology with Project Vahana. Together, they are perfecting autonomous vertical take-off and landing and plan to create a full-scale prototype this year. Vahana even predicts making short “haul trips” by 2021.
Though people may already be raising questions or rolling their eyes, Airbus wants to ensure the public that this is a serious project.
There are many benefits to airborne transportation. The first and most obvious one is how it will alleviate the congestion we have on the roads. It seems like the answer to this issue so far has been to keep building. However, the construction can be counter-productive by causing more traffic in the years it takes to complete it. Urban planners will be able to restructure how they design cities, and there may be space for more than just freeways. Airbus and Vahana are also keeping the environment in mind.
For their prototypes, they are using electric motors, which will have the same ecological impact as grounded vehicles.
Where the challenge lies
Flying cars are not the craziest idea considering the technological advances the world has made. As Airbus reminds us, creating the prototype is not the biggest hurdle to overcome. The challenge will lie in regulation.
They must convince passengers and lawmakers that the vehicles are safe. As we’ve seen, this has already halted the progress of self-driving cars. The regulations need to catch up with the technology. With this breakthrough, we may all be honking at birds not too long from now.
