Extreme Disruptive Technologies Create a Flying Car

Today in some countries, a passenger can call a cell phone app. for a driver-less cab that will pick them up at the curb, lift them vertically into airspace and then deliver them from airspace to a location of their choice; all without experiencing traffic or congested highways.

In Dubai autonomous taxi drones will deliver an adult with a small bag, 19 miles at a speed of 60 miles per hour. These are electric powered drones with advanced battery power that offers a quick charge and don’t use fossil fuels! Manufactured by the Chinese drone making firm, EHang based in Guangzhou, China. (A French company is also demonstrating a similar product). There are countless implications of employing autonomous taxi drones in the World’s most crowded cities. Lower emissions; less traffic congestion; shorter commute times; fewer road repairs: reduced noise; reduction of fossil fuels consumption; use of renewable fuel sources such as wind and solar and the list goes on.

  Most of the technology responsible for this application are correctly labeled “disruptive technologies” and were only developed in the last 2-5 years.

These disruptive technologies include the following and are dramatically impacting many other industries as we know them today:

·      Advanced drone software to control the safe passage of drones in airspace shared with other flying devises such as other drones, military and commercial aircraft. This is regulated by NASA and FAA in the USA and most other countries. This software depends on cell tower communications systems.

·      Efficient and lightweight electric motors using NANO technologies.

·      Advanced Lithium batteries producing maximum power and holding a charge for extended period of time.

·      Advanced solar charging systems for quick charging of batteries.

·      Advanced carbon fiber composite materials for body panels, substructure and propellers. These materials have superior strength and less weight than steel or aluminum.

·      Internal software and hardware to properly operate all the functions of an electric powered drone and keep it safe as it flies to its designation.

·      Location satellites developed for us by the military.

Some of us remember “The Jetsons” TV program (1962-1987) in which George Jenson used his flying car to commute to his job in Orbit city. In less than thirty years, more than a dozen disruptive technologies came together to create a real flying car!

Robert Dayton