The Herman Trend Alert
April 6, 2022
Electric Flying Taxis
For many years, I have been writing about flying cars; sadly, they never became commercially viable. On a different note, if you have ever been to Dubai, you know that traffic congestion is a major problem. Now, it appears that a project in Dubai, scheduled for launch sometime in the future, will make both flying cars and a means to alleviate the traffic congestion a reality.
An Aspirational Initiative
Started in 2017, the project for Autonomous Air Taxis (AATs) in Dubai is an ambitious one. These flying transports were developed by the innovation lab at Porsche Engineering, a subsidiary of Porsche that develops technologies for vehicles of the future. The lab's founder Valentina Contini believes that future flying machines moving people through urban areas will be "connected and autonomous." The best part is that this project will likely reduce two key contaminants: gas and noise. Plus, the AATs will probably be faster than existing modes of transportation.
VTOL, a Key to Making the Technology Work In Dubai
Obviously, needing long runways would be a major impediment to bringing this technology to life in Dubai or any congested city. Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) could be the technology that will allow the technology to take off (sic). With VTOL these flying machines will be able to take off and land on helipads. There are many helipads on the tops of buildings in Dubai as well as other congested cities where space is limited.
Electric and Self-Driving
In collaboration with Germany's Volocopter, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been working for years to reduce traffic and pollution in the United Arab Emirates' most iconic city. (Volocopter GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturer specializing in the creation of personal electric helicopters designed for air taxi use.) Now, inspired by science fiction and powered by AI, these vehicles are programmed to "see" and avoid birds and other objects---using sensors and image processors for navigation and a laser-based technology to identify any obstruction on landing surfaces. So the AAT is a complete self-sufficient flying vehicle similar to self-driving cars that require no human intervention to work.
Details of the AATs
Equipped with all the luxury and safety features, the AATs offer comfortable leather seats and enough space for two seated passengers. In case of an accident, the noise-proof cabin is fitted with emergency parachutes. Their propellers are powered by plug-in batteries that also help to reduce their carbon footprints. The charging times for the AATs' batteries are around 40 minutes. The flying taxis are each equipped with 18 propellers that have a maximum flight time of 30 minutes. The Dubai flying taxi can travel at a maximum speed of 50 km/h (100 km/h airspeed).
Dubai: the Perfect City for APF's Anniversary Celebration
2022 is the 20th Anniversary of the Association of Professional Futurists. The intention is to have this global event in Dubai this Fall. Stay tuned for more details.
What this Development Means for the Future
Once airborne, these AATs hold great promise for reducing traffic congestion and carbon emission in Dubai and ultimately, in cities throughout the world. Furthermore, they will provide a comfortable, fast, and smooth mode of transportation for those able to afford them. In addition, these vehicles support Dubai's Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy for 2030. Autonomous electric flying taxis are coming, but not soon enough!
Special thanks to Inverse for its coverage of this fascinating development.
Next Week's Herman Trend Alert: New Drug May Reverse Aging
From Belgium comes this leading edge development in life extension. Rejuvenate Biomed has a drug RJx-01 for the treatment of sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) that is currently in clinical trials. In fact, RJx-01 is a novel combination of known drugs, so there is already lots of safety data on the components. Learn the details next week.
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