Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Uber looking to skies for future of commuter transportation

Source Website: http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/uber-looking-skies-future-commuter-transportation
By Alfred Bayle, Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN, Tuesday, 27 September 2016


The Boeing Osprey, one of the few VTOL aircraft in service today is a tad too big for cities, so Uber is looking for smaller planes that could fit inside city airspace.
PHOTO: The Boeing Osprey, one of the few VTOL aircraft in service today is a tad too big for cities, so Uber is looking for smaller planes that could fit inside city airspace.
Photo: Philippines Daily Inquirer/ANN
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigx7UoyzgLffJF5fkk5zMo35X9YS8BxAsQd6x1Z3mk6AuIH27GRP5qoFWVmPnOlJsIEIAlDb_Ux2BJctz0ZGjauzTwZlWRFdWO5yuU2RZ1vvakiEhthla_pvhPvAVs6fG_Oc-mUtPYe-rO/s1600/VTOLaircraft_inquirer_270916.jpg
http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/w848/public/original_images/Sep2016/VTOLaircraft_inquirer_270916.jpg?itok=67VTRt7N&timestamp=1474952143
http://news.asiaone.com/news/science-and-tech/uber-looking-skies-future-commuter-transportation


Just as Uber announced a few weeks ago that self-driving Uber cars would be hitting the streets in Pittsburgh, USA, the company is already looking to the future with flying vehicles that take off and land to get around a city.

The Next Web reports that Recode had a chance to speak with Uber's head of products Jeff Holden at The Nantucket Project conference where it was made known that the company is researching small planes with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities.


Drone Carrier Man
PHOTO: Drone Carrier Man - After previously showing a prototype drone that can carry human - made by Chinese manufacturer named Ehang (亿航 Yì háng) years ago at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This drone was finally given permission to conduct flight tests in Nevada-USA.
Posted by hidup bahagia on 11 June 2016
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https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KC4SXz8FJNc/maxresdefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC4SXz8FJNc


Holden said the idea is to offer customers "as many options as possible to move around."

He added that VTOL planes would not need a long runway like traditional aircraft and could prove to be a clever way to avoid traffic jams.

These aircraft would still need ample space to land as much as a helicopter needs a landing pad which could prove challenging for congested cities.


VTOL planes would not need a long runway like traditional aircraft and could prove to be a clever way to avoid traffic jams.
PHOTO: VTOL planes would not need a long runway like traditional aircraft and could prove to be a clever way to avoid traffic jams. These aircraft would still need ample space to land as much as a helicopter needs a landing pad which could prove challenging for congested cities.
Picture posted by Redaksi on 10 January 2016
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUi2f0xpCaxKZBg8hUDypZfB5aa-mFB5vqkwD_RV_9Enq8zhIk3cOkM-oLWZJopThGiFVUtLwtwXq5dl5yQUQymmVmPKIxVL1NIegJ2z58TnEX2RfSOiw_WmhQRaPTcKH9FfR0R04bWc7/s1600/6-1024x768.png
http://www.tanjungpinangpos.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/6-1024x768.png
http://www.tanjungpinangpos.co.id/2016/124967/drone-sudah-bisa-bawa-penumpang/


Uber is not the first company to explore flight as a means of commuter transportation and will most likely not be the last.

While technology for VTOL taxis are still being developed, it would be interesting to see how the self-driving Uber car trials would fare.


Prototype drone made in China given permission to conduct flight tests in Nevada-USA

From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC4SXz8FJNc

By Alfred Bayle, Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN, Tuesday, 27 September 2016



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