Is this the flying taxi of the future? Electric 200mph 16-rotor 'megadrone' that can transform into a plane mid-air gets $100 million backing from Toyota and Intel
- Joby S2 takes off like a helicopter, but once airborne its 12 propellers fold up so it can glide like a plane
- The aircraft has 16 electric propellers, 12 of which are designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)
- Joby S2 requires five times less energy and travels five times faster than traditional auto transportation
- Joby Aviation believes it will cost $20,000 to make each aircraft and due to its fully electric operation, running costs should be a fraction of what a typical helicopter requires
Secretive start-up Joby Aviation has come a step closer to making its flying taxi a reality.
The California-based company, which is building an all-electric flying taxi capable of vertical take-off, has received $100 million (£70 million) in funding from a group of investors led by Toyota and Intel.
The money will be used to develop the firm’s 'megadrone' which can reach speeds of 200mph (321kph) powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries.
The Joby S2 prototype has 16 electric propellers, 12 of which are designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), which means no runway is needed.
The aircraft takes off vertically, like a helicopter, before folding away 12 of its propellers so it can glide like a plane once it is airborne.
Secretive start-up Joby Aviation has come a step closer to making its flying taxi a reality. The California-based company, which is building an all-electric flying taxi capable of vertical take-off, has received $100 million (£70 million) in funding from a group of investors led by Toyota and Intel. Pictured is a concept image of what the craft could look like
'If we can build an aircraft which is quiet, safe, and efficient, and you get door-to-door at five times the speed of ground transport, it will radically change life,' Joby Aviation CEO and founder JoeBen Bevirt told ReadWrite in an interview in 2015.
'It will have a transformative effect.'
Bevirt believes thousands of all-electric sky cabs, like the Joby S2, will one day shuttle people around cities, soaring above the gridlocked roads below.
Powered by electric motors and sophisticated control software, the taxi performs like a cross between a drone and a small plane while 'making about as much noise as a swarm of superbees’
The investment announced by Intel today will be used to develop the firm’s 'megadrone' which can reach speeds of 200mph (321kph) powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries.
The Joby S2 prototype looks like it was designed for James Bond, but this personal plane wants to change the way we travel for vacation, commute to work and run errands
Thousands of all-electric sky cabs, like the Joby S2, will one day shuttle people around cities, soaring above the gridlocked roads below.
Bevirt said he wants every office and residential cul-de-sac to have a landing pad in years to come.
Unfortunately, the Joby Aviation CEO is less clear about when customers will be able to summon an autonomous air taxi to the end of their drive-way.
The Joby Aviation CEO says customers will be able to hail a nearby air taxi using a smartphone app, similar to Uber or Lyft, that the company will operate
The company estimates it can produce the S2 for a price around $200,000, and due to its fully electric operation, running costs should be a fraction of what a typical helicopter requires
The latest Joby prototype has 12 large propellers designed to tilt forward and provide the aircraft with balance while it’s flying. It also has fixed-pitch propellers located on the wingtips and tail fins which help reduce the size of the wing required to fly
WHAT TYPE OF FLYING TAXIS COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE?
Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software has triggered an explosion in the field of electric air taxis.
Larry Page, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet , has poured millions into aviation start-ups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, which are both striving to create all-electric flying cabs.
Kitty Hawk is believed to be developing a flying car and has already filed more than a dozen different aircraft registrations with the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.
Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin back in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) into the two companies, which have yet to publicly acknowledge or demonstrate their technology.
The money will be used to develop the firm’s 'megadrone' which can reach speeds of 200mph (321kph) powered by lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide batteries.
The Joby S2 prototype has 16 electric propellers, 12 of which are designed for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), which means no runway is needed.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018. Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing
The aircraft takes off vertically, like a helicopter, before folding away 12 of its propellers so it can glide like a plane once it is airborne.
Airbus is also hard at work on a similar idea, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completing its maiden test flight in February 2018.
The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds.
Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video, showcasing its vision for Project Vahana.
The footage reveals a sleek self-flying aircraft that seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts in similar way to a motorcycle helmet visor.
Airbus Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completed its maiden test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds
Like Joby Aviation, Project Vahana is designed to be all-electric and take-off and land vertically.
AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to take commuters to the skies.
The Detroit-based start-up has promised to deploy 2,500 aircrafts in the 50 largest cities in the United States by 2026.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018.
Like its closest rivals, the electric aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing.
AirSpaceX has even included broadband connectivity for high speed internet access so you can check your Facebook News Feed as you fly to work.
Aside from passenger and cargo services, AirSpaceX says the craft can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation, as well as tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR).
Even Uber is working on making its ride-hailing service airborne.
Dubbed Uber Elevate, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tentatively discussed the company’s plans during a technology conference in January 2018.
‘I think it’s going to happen within the next 10 years,’ he said.
It also has fixed-pitch propellers located on the wingtips and tail fins which help reduce the size of the wing required to fly.
'By distributing these propellers across the leading edge of the wing, we are able to increase the dynamic pressure over the wing and build an aircraft with a smaller more efficient wing,' explained Bevirt.
These are also designed for low tip speeds that allow riders to take-off without waking their neighbours.
The aircraft is designed and built in secret by a team of 120 people at an airfield in Santa Cruz.
Joby S2’s range can be boosted by taking-off and landing on a runway, instead of vertically.
The plane can also use ambient winds to put some power back into its batteries while it is on the ground, all because the plane is connected to an electric motor.
The company estimates it can produce the S2 for about $200,000 (£141,000), and due to its fully electric operation, running costs should be a fraction of what a typical helicopter requires.
No comments:
Post a Comment