By Shruti Swamy
Introduction
Imagine a place which has soundless streets, imagine a place where you do not fear the sight of congestion. Can one dream of such a place? Let all your worries fly away as a decade or so down the line flying taxis are going to be buzzing around your city. What a revelation or should I say revolution? Now instead of the dreadful voice of Google Maps saying in a girlish accent that there is congestion on the road or a delay, you would be hearing the good news of reaching before time. Good thing for tardy people who do not have to wake up to the horrifying sound of the alarm!!
Mechanism and advantages of these eVTOL
In today’s rapidly evolving world there needs to be a seamless blend between the demands of time and the personal space of the individual who is traveling. With new technologies emerging, the pollution levels have compounded. Apparently, a car releases 4.6 metric tons of Co2 every year!! Goosebumps! As we cough and crawl our way out of congestion. Thankfully these electric mobile units or electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle (eVTOL) release 35% lower than that number. Not only this, but these machines mean fewer people on the road which means lesser traffic and congestion. These battery-powered vehicles combine the hovering capabilities of a helicopter with the efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft. The technology promises to revolutionise short-distance travel with minimal environmental impact.
To put it briefly, an autopilot or flight-control system will pilot the eVTOL using data from two redundant onboard computers. The aircraft's optical, infrared, and light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors will provide command and control information to these computers. These sensors are able to identify dense clouds, birds, buildings, and other aircraft. The computers will be able to acquire and analyze this data continuously, giving them situational awareness of the airspace.The vertiports, which are made up of groups of helipads on rooftops with the equipment needed to service and recharge eVTOLs as well as allow passengers to board and exit, will serve as the ground control stations' locations. The eVTOLs occasionally receive revised flight instructions and rerouted flight trajectories while they are in the air. These updates will be driven by a variety of circumstances, including rapid changes in weather, fluctuations in passenger loads at various vertiports, unexpected no-fly zones due to public events on the ground, or accidents.
Conclusion
It may sound like a fantasy concept, but some of the most prominent players in transportation are actively developing a prototype of these Urban air mobility vehicles(UAMs). The hard times that the World has faced will hopefully come to an end as we finally consign to ashes the old Technology and emerge into a delightful new era of innovative travel.
Sources
-Flying taxis - Ferrovial. (2020, April 21). Ferrovial. https://www.ferrovial.com/en/innovation/technologies/flying-taxis/
-Hyderabad firm plans to introduce Japanese flying taxis in India. (2024, January 16). The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/hyderabad-firm-plans-to-introduce-japanese-flying-taxis-in-india/article67744434.ece
-Namuduri, K., & Gambold, K. (2023, September 28). 3 Challenges to Solve Before We Can Commute by Air Taxi. IEEE Spectrum. https://spectrum.ieee.org/evtol-2661135407