Autonomous drone taxis are what the future aims to have. Companies large and small all aim to be the first to mass-produce their very own taxi drone. This will mark them in history as pioneers of drone and travel technology, while also raking in the entire market. Being the first to create a successful taxi drone may be harder than you think. While in science fiction it can be assembled in seconds, in reality it is far more complicated.
For instance, we still do not have the technology to create such a behemoth. Sure, smaller drones exist, and they can lift cargo to and from destinations. However, with larger weight demands (for people, instead of small items), getting a drone to lift that load is difficult to achieve. Not to mention the distance issues as well. For taxis, it is normal to go up to a few kilometers per trip for one passenger. For taxi drones to actually compete (or even replace) against taxis and other land transports, they have to match the distance.
At Drone Week in Amsterdam Audi, Airbus and Italdesign are presenting for the first time a flying and driving prototype of “Pop.Up Next”. This innovative concept for a flying taxi combines a self-driving electric car with a passenger drone. In the first public test flight, the flight module accurately placed a passenger capsule on the ground module, which then drove from the test grounds autonomously. This is still a 1:4 scale model.Airbus Taxi Drone
One of the biggest names in this race for the first taxi drone is Airbus. The transport manufacturing company has started their tests a few years ago, and may soon unveil the fruits of their labors.
In Amsterdam this week, a show set center stage the Airbus Taxi drone concept for the entire crowd to see. While this is by far the most complete taxi drone shown to the public, it is still far to expect these to be commonplace in cities worldwide. Mass production is still a long way to go as well. For tests, it can be quite difficult to match the traditional methods of travel. The only advantage these taxi drones have is their flight, which cuts travel times immeasurably. But still, these drones may end up costing millions per vehicle – and you may ask yourself: is it really worth it?
