If you thought that in Dubai people were moving on camels or in big luxury cars, you were not mistaken, now you can put a more totally ecological vehicle, so as not to dirty the sand of the desert, it is the Volcano as well, as it sounds.
The government of Dubai to begin the first world test of autonomous aerial taxis (AAT) for public transport after contracting by German Company. The Volocopter, which sounds like one of Leonardo’s inventions, will supply multicropping 18-rotor for an air taxi service in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Obviously they have gone from camel to state-of-the-art technology with dizzying ease.
The Volcano, formerly known as E-volo, seems to be performing its first test later this year. Its AAT has a maximum flight time of half an hour at a cruising speed of 50 km / h, a little more than 30 MPH, and when reaching maximum speeds can double these 50 km / h. The AAT measures approximately 2 meters in height and the diameter of the rotor rim, including the propellers, is around 7 meters.
In terms of safety, the AAT will come with an emergency parachute along with nine separate battery systems.
The VC200 Volcano prototype made its first crewed flight last year. And at the largest general aviation fair in Europe earlier this year, the company unveiled its first production model: 2X. It has a maximum range of 17 miles when it flies at a speed of 43 mph. Its maximum flight time is 27 minutes at an optimal cruising speed of 31 mph, but if range were not troubling, the 2X can fly at a top speed of 62 mph.
The Volokopter will not be the only flying taxi service that will buzz through Dubai’s airspace. RTA also recently reached an agreement with Chinese drone company Ehang to test its single-person quadcopter as a transit alternative. Uber is also in talks with the Emirate city to publicly demonstrate his own flying taxi service in 2020. And if flying in the air on a stand-alone unmanned aircraft is not your purse, perhaps you would be more interested in trips on the subway: Dubai Is working with Hyperloop One, a Los Angeles-based company, to build the world’s first Hyperloop.
The Dubai Road and Transit Authority (RTA) is known for its acceptance of the new technology, and its ground-based cream taxis are currently the most popular way to get around the city. The RTA expects to transit at least 25 percent of all its passenger travel to freight by 2030, which means that taxis are the best place to start. “We see Dubai as the pioneer of a huge evolving market,” says Volkswagen CEO Zosel in a press release, which expects positive results in the UAE to lead other cities to take note.
The RTA is jumping into the test with no guidance on how the AATs will operate, and says it will crush regulations with the Dubai Civil Authority before the tests begin. “It is noteworthy,” says the RTA in its own press release, “that operational and legislative structures will be the first of their kind throughout the world.”
The Volcano will likely face competition sooner rather than later, considering how the RTA has also signed an agreement for Quadcopter testing. Uber has also expressed interest in the VTOL flight in the city.
A Slovakian company AeroMobil also assured first two-seated version AeroMobil 3.0: the flying car of 2017. That technology applied for first new solution public transportation.