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Dubai's skies are set to be filled with buzzing, driverless flying cars this summer... Here's what you should know
19 February 2017
| Last updated on 19 January 2020
You may have seen in the news over the past few days that Dubai's skies are set to be filled with buzzing, driverless flying cars. While you may have dismissed the idea of them to begin with, we assure you, it's nothing to ignore...
After all, aren't we all looking for a way to reduce our commute time to and from work? Or a way to skip the long traffic queues? While we thought Dubai's smartest technologies were reached with driverless cars, the stakes are about to get a whole lot higher.
The Emirate has now decided that driverless, flying cars are the future, which was announced at his year's World Government Summit in Dubai, The National reported.
The most impressive part?
Dubai's residents can expect to be able to fly in one of these new modes of transport by THIS July, 2017.
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That's right, as part of the Emirate's ongoing efforts to transform 25% of Dubai's individual trips into self-driving trips by 2030, the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) plan to launch these trips by passenger drone by this summer.
Of course, their launch will mark another world's first for the city.
The RTA, in collaboration with the Chinese firm Ehang, has carried out testing of the autonomous aerial vehicle Ehang 184- shortened to AAV - which is capable of carrying one human.
But how will it work?
The Ehang 184 AAV is fitted with a touchscreen infront of the passenger seat, which will display a map of all destinations. It will have preset routes installed, and the passenger will be able to select their intended destination.
Once selected, the vehicle will then begin automatically, and will take-off and cruise to the set destination before descending and landing in a specific spot.
The AAVs are designed to fly for a maximum of 30 minutes, with a maximum cruising speed of 160km/h, and the standard speed in Dubai is likely to be set to 100km/h.
Will I be flying all alone?
No, a ground-based centre will monitor your journey and control the entire operation.
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How is it safe?
Yes it is. The highest levels of security in designing and manufacturing the AAVs have been addressed. The flying vehicle will have fool-proof safety mechanisms installed, and if an abnormality happens to occur, the car will immediately land in the nearest possible area to ensure safety for passengers.
Each AAV is fitted with eight main propellers - if one should malfunction, there are seven others tha will assist the completion of the flight. Plus, the standby system wound be able to control and safely steer the AAV to the programmed landing point.
And no, before you ask, the system cannot be hacked by external bodies. The communication installed is encrypted, and each AAV has its own, independent key.
How will they be able to fly?
The maximum cruising height is 3,000 feet.
Are they good for the environment?
The new AAVs are powered by electricity alone, and is designed to operate with 100% green technology... Meaning you can save fils spent on fuel (and Salik!) on a daily basis!
There's no denying that these new driverless flying cars DO look pretty ah-mazing, whether we'll rush to try one out to begin with is another matter. But for now, we're thrilled to see technologies in the Emirate to be advancing and we're sure they will prove a hit when fully launched in the Emirate.
