Dubai- Decypha: Emirate's Future City, Dubai, has decided to throw the bumper-to-bumper traffic situation behind its back for good with its plan for autonomous air taxis (AAT) to be implemented in the last quarter of this year, becoming the first city in the world to have autonomous air taxis. According to a press release issued by the Roads and Transports Authority (RTA) in the government of Dubai in June, the RTA announced that it has already began the test run for its AAT and expects the trial operation to gradually take place by the end of 2017, extending for five years. This five-year-period will include the assessment of the security and safety of the vehicle. The period was planned to be this long in order to ensure the safety of the AAT in Dubai's climate, as well as enable the RTA to follow up the issuance of required legislations for the aircraft to fly across the Emirati city's sky.
The city of Dubai has a plan to implement its Dubai Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy by 2030. This strategy aims to transform 25% of the total journeys made in Dubai into ones carried out through autonomous transport, according to Emirates 24/7, and Dubai's AAT seem to be in perfect line with this strategy.
The Specifications of Dubai's AAT
Dubai's RTA has initially made an agreement with the Chinese company Ehang in order to provide the EHANG 184 autonomous aerial vehicle, according to Fortune. The RTA announced this month that its agreement is now with the German Volocopter Company, a specialist in the manufacturing of autonomous air vehicles. “We are very grateful and proud that the RTA has selected us as their partner after rigorous testing,” said Alexander Zosel, the co-founder of Volocopter, according to Vertical Magazine.
Dubai's AAT will be able to take off vertically, resembling a helicopter. The aircraft will be able to carry up to two passengers at a cruise speed of 50 km/h, a maximum speed of 100 km/h, and a maximum flight time of 30 minutes that requires a 40-minute battery charging, according to Dubai OFW. The luxurious aircraft with leather seats will contain an emergency parachute, nine independent battery systems, and will be environment-friendly, which means it will be powered by clean electricity, and will have very low noise which will make it possible to land and take off near citizens without causing much disruption to their normal everyday lives. The aircraft can be requested through an application installed into smart phones.
"The AAT has high safety features, thanks to its design comprising 18 rotors to ensure safe cruising and landing of the taxi in case of any rotor failure. The air taxi is characterized by its autopilot or autonomous flying, thus enabling the movement of people from one place to another without human intervention or a need for a flight license holder," said RTA's press release.
The RTA will specify the air routes of the journeys taken by the Volocopter aircraft. It will also provide specific take-off and landing spots and all the logistics and measures to be taken to ensure the safety of the passengers and the smoothness of the trips flown by the aircraft, according to Gulf News.
Challenges
While the idea of an AAT launched in the city of Dubai seems like a great step forward, the first air taxi in the world is sure to come with a few challenges. According to the CNN, the 30-minute maximum battery time will not last for too long, limiting the length of the trips taken by the AAT. Moreover, there are concerns about the automated passenger aircraft which will be driverless and the extent of the safety of driverless vehicles in general. However, if any problem occurred or a failure in one of the vehicle's 18 rotors took place, the aircraft is programmed to instantly land at the nearest safe spot. "But that may not be enough to reassure everyone," said Captain Ross Aimer, CEO of Aero Consulting Experts. Additionally, there is the issue of landing and taking off vertically in a crowded city, as highlighted by the Air and Space Magazine.
The Future of Air Taxis across the World
Of course, this is only the beginning for the technology of air taxis, at least in Dubai. The RTA said it will form more partnerships in the future with other manufacturers of autonomous air vehicles, but this is only expected to happen after the government ensures the safety of these vehicles and their fulfillment of the standards of air safety, according to Gulf News, so more deals are to be expected over the upcoming years.
As for the case in other countries, the German Volocopter company is actually developing a four-seat aircraft and is seeking to obtain approvals from concerned authorities to allow its aviation in the skies of Europe and the United States of America, according to Robb Report.
Uber, the international ride-hailing company, has also announced that it has plans to offer flying taxis to its clients by 2023. The company aims to start its ambitious project in the city of Dubai, as well as Dallas Texas in the U.S, where Uber will be holding its initial test flights. The company is still looking into the challenges of the project and ways to overcome them in order to start implementation, according to Hype Beast.
By Reem Hosam El-din
