UberAIR and the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) have teamed up for a flying taxi and military applications.
First announced at the Los Angeles Uber Elevate Summit, the UberAIR project will spend $1 million to develop a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle with a software-controlled dual rotor system with quieter operation than helicopters in highly congested areas.
On Uber's side, it would be used for flying taxis with sky ports as landing spots. For the Army, it would be used to expand on its efforts to build quieter unmanned drones. The future of commuting is just about here and the future of airborne warfare is about to takeoff.
Up in the Air
Uber's goal is to debut its flying taxi prototype, UberAIR, in 2020, with passenger and cargo service operational sometime within the next decade. At the moment, Dallas and Los Angeles have been selected as its first serviced cities, with a contest to determine its first international city announced
"Uber is proud to be partnering with ARL on critical research on flying vehicle innovations that will help create the world's first urban aviation ride-share network," said Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate. "Our first jointly funded project will help us develop first of its kind rotor technology that will allow for quieter and more efficient travel. We see this initial project as the first of many and look forward to continued collaboration with the lab on innovations that will make uberAIR a reality."
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