Science & Technology

Dubai aims to launch a driverless hover-taxi

By T.K. Randall
September 26, 2017

Image: Driving Car
Credit: Santeri Viinamäki / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) The futuristic passenger drone, which has the potential to cut down both travel times and congestion, has been developed by German-based company Volocopter and sports an array of 18 rotor blades.

An existing prototype of the vehicle is already capable of flying for 30 minutes at speeds of up to 62mph and because it is autonomous, there is no need for a human pilot or a pilot's license.

Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) envisages that passengers will one day be able to book passage on one of these taxis and track its arrival on a map by using a special mobile phone app.

If all goes to plan, the new service is expected to be available in Dubai within the next five years.


Source: Phys.org

Tags: Dubai, Volocopter