Get ready for Boeing's flying taxis: CEO claims the firm is already testing prototypes - and says the technology ‘will happen faster than any of us understand’
- Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg thinks flying taxis will be real within the decade
- Last year, the aerospace giant acquired a startup that's working with Uber on flying taxis and built its own autonomous taxi prototype called LightingStrike
- But aviation experts say there will be tough regulatory hurdles to overcome
Flying taxis could be close to taking flight within the next ten years.
That's according to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg, who said the aerospace giant has been testing prototypes of sophisticated flying taxis that could one day be capable of ferrying humans to and from places, not unlike an Uber.
'I think it will happen faster than any of us understand,' Muilenberg told Bloomberg.
'Real prototype vehicles are being built right now, so the technology is very doable,' he added.
Pictured is the LightningStrike, a flying taxi created by Aurora Flight Sciences, that can ferry passengers between locations called 'urban vertiports,' similar to high-tech helipads
Muilenberg has been designing what would be the 'rules of the road for three-dimensional highways' that carry autonomous flying taxis, Bloomberg noted.
Boeing signaled that it's doubling down on flying taxis when it agreed to acquire Aurora Flight Sciences, an aviation and aeronautics research company, last October.
Aurora was recently awarded an $89 million contract from the Defense Department to develop its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) plane, called the LightningStrike, which uses electric-powered propulsion.
The eVTOL plane will provide on-demand transportation to 'minimize long commutes due to heavy traffic and urbanization in populated areas,' Aurora says.
That would also involve developing 'urban vertiports' where passengers can board flying taxis.
Test flights could begin as soon as 2020 in Dallas and Dubai, Bloomberg said.
The firm has also developed flying taxi concepts as part of its partnership with Uber.
Aurora works with Uber on its Elevate program, which is an initiative focused on advancing VTOL aircraft and the 'future of urban air transport,' including flying taxis.
Pictured is Aurora's electric VTOL aircraft. The firm is working with Uber on its Elevate program, which is an initiative working to make flying taxis a reality
Uber's own CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has predicted that the company will roll out self-flying taxis within the next five to 10 years.
The company is developing an airborne version of its ride-hailing app, called UberAIR, which is expected to launch in 2020.
Uber is also working with Embraer SA, a Brazilian planemaker that's in 'tie-up talks' with Boeing, according to Bloomberg.
More than a handful of companies are working on creating their own flying taxi prototypes, making it a close race between top aerospace and aviation to establish a leader of the pack.
The Boeing chief isn't the only one who's bullish on the future of flying taxis.
A recent study by Deloitte forecast that flying taxis could become commercially available in the next two years.
NASA has also commissioned a study looking at Urban Air Mobility, which describes a system of autonomous and piloted vehicles capable of carrying passengers and cargo in urban areas.
WHAT TYPE OF FLYING TAXIS COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE?
Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software has triggered an explosion in the field of electric air taxis.
Larry Page, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet , has poured millions into aviation start-ups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, which are both striving to create all-electric flying cabs.
Kitty Hawk is believed to be developing a flying car and has already filed more than a dozen different aircraft registrations with the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.
Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin back in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) into the two companies, which have yet to publicly acknowledge or demonstrate their technology.
Secretive start-up Joby Aviation has come a step closer to making its flying taxi a reality.
The California-based company, which is building an all-electric flying taxi capable of vertical take-off, has received $100 million (£70 million) in funding from a group of investors led by Toyota and Intel.
The money will be used to develop the firm’s 'megadrone' which can reach speeds of 200mph (321kph) powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries.
The Joby S2 prototype has 16 electric propellers, 12 of which are designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), which means no runway is needed.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018. Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing
The aircraft takes off vertically, like a helicopter, before folding away 12 of its propellers so it can glide like a plane once it is airborne.
Airbus is also hard at work on a similar idea, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completing its maiden test flight in February 2018.
The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds.
Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video, showcasing its vision for Project Vahana.
The footage reveals a sleek self-flying aircraft that seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts in similar way to a motorcycle helmet visor.
Airbus Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completed its maiden test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds
Like Joby Aviation, Project Vahana is designed to be all-electric and take-off and land vertically.
AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to take commuters to the skies.
The Detroit-based start-up has promised to deploy 2,500 aircrafts in the 50 largest cities in the United States by 2026.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018.
Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing.
AirSpaceX has even included broadband connectivity for high speed internet access so you can check your Facebook News Feed as you fly to work.
Aside from passenger and cargo services, AirSpaceX says the craft can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation, as well as tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).
Even Uber is working on making its ride-hailing service airborne.
Dubbed Uber Elevate, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tentatively discussed the company’s plans during a technology conference in January 2018.
‘I think it’s going to happen within the next 10 years,’ he said.Currently, Boeing and Airbus appear to be at the forefront of the technology.
Airbus successfully tested its flying taxi, Alpha One, earlier this year.
The taxi is part of Project Vahana, the aerospace giant's advanced projects division.
Muilenberg believes he could be manufacturing fleets of self-flying aircrafts that 'hover above city streets and dodge skyscrapers' within a decade, Bloomberg noted.
But there are several hurdles that the companies have to overcome before flying taxis are a reality.
'It won't all be turned on in one day,' Muilenberg added.
Regulators will have to consider a host of safety issues, such as the vehicles' ability to navigate obstacles on its own.
Manufacturers will also have to prove that the airplane's wings won't fall off, or that the vehicle won't suddenly crash to the ground when on autopilot.
The eVOTL developed by Aurora, pictured, could be a prototype for Boeing's flying taxi initiative. However, Boeing's CEO said it may take years before it's commercially available
Doing so also requires flying taxis and sophisticated drones to be outfitted with advanced artificial intelligence and sensor technology.
Boeing's venture capital arm, HorizonX, has invested in a company called Near Earth Autonomy, which has developed sensing technology that makes autonomous aircraft more intelligent.
That technology could be adapted for use at Boeing, Bloomberg said.
Jumping through all the regulatory hoops is costly and can take several years, however.
Firms will have to make sure they match the rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration, which has managed to ensure nearly zero fatalities over the last several years.
Manufacturers and developers will required to meet those stringent guidelines.
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