We have only begun to explore the boundaries of the sky. Soon aerial vehicles will transform life as we know it in smart cities. Cutting-edge autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technologies are at the heart of the emerging Urban Air Mobility industry.
Flying cars may seem futuristic – but from commercial drones to personal air taxis, they are already here.
Advances in battery energy density, materials science and computer simulation have spurred the development of a range of personal flying vehicles, from electric gliders to fixed-wing craft and quadcopter drones. Far smaller than a commercial plane, most are designed with rotors instead of wings, which allow for vertical takeoff and landing. Tilt rotors, for example, allow for efficiency in forward flight at longer distances, while multirotors are designed to reduce noise in hover flight. Most important, these vehicles are designed to offer faster commutes than traditional modes of transit for individuals, especially in traffic-clogged cities.
At the moment, the autonomous urban aircraft market is still a bit of a Wild West. Dozens of start-up companies are competing to develop commercial personal air taxis. Venture capitalists, auto and aviation corporations (even rideshare company Uber, with its ambitious Uber Elevate) are staking claims on the burgeoning industry, which may be worth as much as $1.5 trillion by 2040. Meanwhile, aviation authorities are prioritizing the policies and safety standards that will govern this new realm of transport.
“The dream of air transport has been around for a long time,”
says Parimal Kopardekar, director of Nasa’s Aeronautics Research Institute at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.
“There’s a powerful opportunity now to design vehicles that can transport goods and services where current aviation can’t reach.”
The effects could transform commuting, and living, as we know it. Right now, most people optimize living based on access to transportation. Air travel will make it possible to reach people wherever they are. Companies will no longer have to look to central business districts for their headquarters, while employees may choose to live anywhere within reach of an air taxi. Owning a AAV could become as affordable and ubiquitous as owning a bicycle.
Traffic bottlenecks wear down our cities’ highways and the cars we drive on them, contribute to emissions that in turn threaten our planet’s delicate ecosystems and our own health. Meanwhile, AAV's (which are electric) will dramatically reduce emissions or reliance on fossil fuel.
Increasing numbers of flying cars will naturally give rise to a changing layout in the way our cities are structured as cities grow taller, rooftop landings expand and air highways connect super sky-scrapers, freeing up space below. Fewer cars on the ground will reduce congestion and may give rise to parks and green spaces. In time, businesses and green spaces will become much more integrated. While we may not ever eliminate metros and roads, we might be able to reduce their footprint.
AAV's have vast implications for the future of transport, work-life, consumption, urban design, even healthcare and ecology. As soon as 2030, consumers might be able to press a button and order an air taxi straight to their cloud-tethered office. In the decades that follow, we may ultimately have fewer and fewer reasons to descend to the earth below, conducting our business and our lives atop a city in the sky.
One mile of road can only take you one mile. One mile of aviation can take you anywhere.
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