Flying Taxis Waiting for Their Station Infrastructure
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Flying taxis are here to stay. Big names like NASA, Airbus, Boeing, and Uber have been racing against ambitious startups to build electric aircraft as viable methods of urban transport.
Urban infrastructures are already being prepared for the deployment of these aerial vehicles.
In Australia, work will begin soon on the country’s first residential apartment block to include a vertical take-off and landing space to accommodate flying taxis and delivery drones. The take-off and landing space will essentially be a rooftop helipad, but with access that will allow each resident to easily collect drone deliveries or to wait for and catch a flying taxi.
Main Roads WA, an Australian government agency responsible for implementing the state’s policies on road access and main roads, revealed it had begun planning to accommodate future modes of transport in Perth, including flying cars and delivery drones. Its annual report said that, over the past decade, the future of transport had been “reimagined” and Main Roads needed to “adapt to take advantage of opportunities and to minimise risks”.
“We have meticulously designed our development to deliver excellence on every level and this includes forward planning and consideration of future advances in technology.
“With flying cars and taxis set to become a reality in the next five years, we are passionate about the far-reaching changes to our cities and our lives this technology will allow, including quicker daily commutes, less traffic congestion and cleaner air around the globe.”
A reported $US111 billion had been invested worldwide in mobility technologies, including electric vehicles, self-driving cars, flying cars, delivery drones and a hyperloop high-speed transit system, according to perthnow.com.au.
“Integrating technology with physical infrastructure offers a great opportunity to innovate,” said the report. “To ensure that WA is in a position to benefit from these emerging transport technologies, we will develop existing systems further … and continue to explore new and innovative opportunities including the practical use of drones and video analytics.”
In another spot around the globe, in downtown Singapore, German air taxi startup Volocopter has recently unveiled the VoloPort, the world’s first flying taxi station. Perched atop a floating platform at Marina Bay, the temporary structure offered a generous view of the country’s central business district’s most iconic landmarks, as reported by theverge.com.
