Dubai begins autonomous air taxi trials
Authorities in Dubai have staged the first test flight of an autonomous air taxi that they
claim could transform urban transport in the region within five years.
During the trial – which was held near the Jumerirah Beach Park – a two-seater autonomous air vehicle (AAV) reportedly flew to an altitude of around 200m and stayed in the air for around five minutes.
Manufactured by German company Volocopter the drone is around 2m high and driven by 18 individual battery powered rotors housed in a 7m diameter rotor rim above the cockpit. Able to hold two passengers, the aircraft has a claimed top speed of 100km/h and a maximum flight time of around 30 minutes.
As previously reported by The Engineer the Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has been exploring a number of different vehicles, including a similar AAV produced by Chinese drone specialist Ehang.
Originally unveiled at the 2016 CES show in Las Vegas, the Ehang 184 is able to fly at altitudes of up to 500m and stay aloft for around 30 minutes, the fully unpiloted eight rotor aircraft can carry a single passenger weighing up to 100kg.
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