Through a partnership with NASA, Uber will help create “unmanned traffic management” systems as part of a project to bring a flying taxi service to Los Angeles, California. The traffic project, named UberElevate, will enter the testing phase sometime in 2020.
Speaking at the Web Summit conference, Uber’s chief product officer, Jeff Holden, unveiled a deal with NASA for the development of traffic systems capable of monitoring the operation of low-altitude vehicles like drones. The Space Act Agreement is a crucial step toward getting Uber’s flying taxi service, UberAir, off the ground. Without a proven and reliable system to manage low-flying vehicles, it is unlikely UberAir will ever receive approval to operate, especially in cities like Los Angeles.
Uber wants to be on the forefront of flying car technology by developing vehicles capable of taking off and landing vertically. The electric, low-flying taxis will be able to hold four passengers, quickly taking them from one area of the city to another.
“Technology will allow LA residents to literally fly over the city’s historically bad traffic, giving them time back to use in far more productive ways,” explained Mr. Holden, as cited by the Daily Mail . “At scale, we expect UberAir will perform tens of thousands of flights each day across the city – at those levels, all the time savings will have a noticeable positive impact on the region’s economy.”
With flying taxis reaching speeds of nearly 200 mph, Uber estimates a trip from LAX to the Staples Center will take approximately 30 minutes. The swift flight significantly cuts the current car ride time by almost an hour. Flying from one side of Los Angeles to the other will take less than five minutes, according to the ride-hailing company.
Want to experience what it will be like to push a button and get a flight with uberAIR? Keep watching. pic.twitter.com/rRnj68Vs9j
— Uber (@Uber) November 8, 2017
According to a futuristic simulation video, a customer would use the Uber app to book a flight in much the same way as reserving a car ride now. The potential passenger would then proceed to an Uber “skyport,” presumably on a building rooftop. With assistance from an Uber-assigned person, a rider would then enter a flying taxi resembling a cross between an airplane and helicopter then rushed to their destination.
Los Angeles will be the third city with the UberAir service, with Uber already working deals to make the flying taxi service a reality in Dubai and Dallas. The company has signed agreements with several aircraft makers, real estate companies, and government agencies to determine where to place ideal launch and landing sites.
Currently, 19 other companies are working on flying car technology , including Toyota and Airbus. However, Holden has openly stated that his company is much closer to having a working unmanned flying vehicle than most people think. The company optimistically believes a viable flying taxi service will be available to customers within the next three years.
[Featured Image by Costazzurra/Shutterstock]
