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Uber for the skies? Watch as SELF-FLYING taxi takes off for the first time
Airbus recently conducted the first successful flight of its self-flying taxi, with plans to use the aircraft as part of an urban transportation network for the skies
By Saqib Shah
23rd February 2018, 10:14 am
Updated: 23rd February 2018, 11:23 am
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THE flying car is closer than you think – but you won’t get to drive it.
Don’t believe us? Train your eyeballs on this insane new video of a self-flying electric taxi.
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Airbus workers assemble the self-flying taxi
Yes, science-fiction is now science-fact, thanks to aviation giant Airbus.
The company’s been boasting that it had the materials and tech it needed for the futuristic vehicle since 2016.
And, in late January it backed up the talk by conducting the first successful test flight of the autonomous air taxi, dubbed “Alpha One.”
But, seeing is believing – luckily for us, it recorded the entire thing.
Okay, so the drone-like Alpha One stayed in the air for just 53 seconds, and fluttered to a height of five meters (16 feet), before landing.
Nonetheless, it looked awesome. And, most impressive of all, the aircraft did it all without the need for a human pilot.
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A closer look at the Alpha One prototype aircraft
Airbus says the flight only used up 8% of Alpha One’s battery, meaning its full potential remains untapped.
According to the company, the aircraft used in the trial is a concept version that’s 20.3 feet wide, 18.7 feet long, 9.2 feet tall, and weighs 1,642 pounds.
Airbus plans to have a production-ready version by 2020.
The ultimate goal is to have a fleet of driverless taxis that can fly up to four passengers from rooftop to rooftop in cities where traffic congestion is an issue.
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Airbus workers assemble the self-flying taxi
Airbus calls it “Project Vahana.”
“Our aim has long been to design and build a single passenger electric VTOL self-piloted aircraft that will answer the growing need for urban mobility,” said Zach Lovering, a project executive at Vahana.
“Our goal is to democratize personal flight by leveraging the latest technologies such as electric propulsion, energy storage, and machine vision.
“Our first flights mark a huge milestone for Vahana as well as the global pursuit of urban air mobility.”
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Airbus isn’t the only company looking to make self-flying public transportation a reality.
Mercedes (or, rather its parent Daimler) has partnered with Bosch on an Uber for the skies, too.
Earlier this month, the two firms announced that they’ll be carrying out tests of the self-flying aircrafts within a few months.
