Would you take a ride in one of these ? Image Credit: YouTube / Volocopter
Transport authorities in the United Arab Emirates are hoping to offer an autonomous flying taxi service.
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.
Who knows, Roger. Maybe a small WI town would be better for testing than a larger town. If sometime goes wrong there's potentially less collateral damage and minimal loss of life. Any lss of life is unacceptable, but why risk more than you have to.
Amazon(c) delivery is one thing, but I dunno 'bout this. The closest I feel comfortable with it is if they need to auto-pilot my already dead carcass to the morgue.
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