In 2010, an advanced aircraft engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center named Mark Moore published a white paper outlining the feasibility of electric aircrafts that could take off and land like helicopters but were smaller and quieter. The vehicles would be capable of providing a speedy alternative to the dreary morning commute.
Moore's research (PDF) into so-called VTOL—short for vertical takeoff and landing, or more colloquially, flying cars—inspired at least one billionaire technologist. After reading the white paper, Google co-founder Larry Page secretly started and financed two Silicon Valley startups, Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, to develop the technology, Bloomberg Businessweek reported last summer.
Now Moore is leaving the confines of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where he has spent the last 30 years, to join one of Google's rivals: Uber Technologies Inc. Moore is taking on a new role as director of engineering for aviation at the ride-hailing company, working on a flying car initiative known as Uber Elevate. "I can't think of another company in a stronger position to be the leader for this new ecosystem and make the urban electric VTOL market real," he says.
Uber isn't constructing a flying car yet. In its own white paper published last October, the company laid out a radical vision for airborne commutes and identified technical challenges it said it wanted to help the nascent industry solve, like noise pollution, vehicle efficiency and limited battery life. Moore consulted on the paper and was impressed by the company's vision and potential impact.
-- submitted from IRC
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Uber Aims to Make its Flying Car Service Cheaper Than Ground Car Ownership
At Uber's Elevate conference, the company revealed some price targets for its upcoming vertical takeoff and landing flying taxi service:
The passenger cost per mile, [Uber Head of Elevate Eric] Allison said, needs to be competitive with the variable cost of car ownership. Car ownership, on a per mile basis, costs between $0.464 to $0.608, according to AAA.
However, uberAIR will not be cheaper on a cost per passenger mile at launch. Initially, uberAIR will cost $5.73 per passenger mile. In the near-term, Uber says it will get the cost down to $1.86 per passenger mile before ideally getting to $0.44 per passenger mile. At that point, it would actually be cheaper to use uberAIR.
uberAIR is scheduled to begin testing in 2020, with the first official passenger trip in 2023.
Additionally, Uber will collaborate with NASA and the U.S. Army on its uberAIR plans:
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 08 2017, @06:15AM
Uber is like Google without the search and ad business.
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Wednesday February 08 2017, @11:13AM
Let's just keep pissing money away. If we need more there are always plenty of suckers on Wall St. who will rush to buy stock.
(Score: 2) by Shimitar on Wednesday February 08 2017, @07:06AM
Well, when they start talking about fliying cars it's a clear sign they made too much money and they are out of touch with reality.
After all taxi drivers will win down the line. I am a bit sorry.
Coding is an art. No, java is not coding. Yes, i am biased, i know, sorry if this bothers you.
(Score: 2) by Appalbarry on Wednesday February 08 2017, @07:40AM
Company whose entire business model is based on not owning any vehicles is going to start building flying cars.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday February 08 2017, @12:29PM
They were going to be switching their business model to own cars anyway... driverless ones. If they fly, they will be pilotless.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Geezer on Wednesday February 08 2017, @10:28AM
I predict that in 10 years or less, all small vehicles will be autonomous electric flying pods jointly built and operated by Uber, Tesla, and Amazon that will efficiently deliver people and products anywhere, any time with multimedia support from Comcast and productivity connectivity by Microsoft. Concurrently, physician-assisted suicide will become commonplace.
(Score: 2) by Unixnut on Wednesday February 08 2017, @10:43AM
> physician-assisted suicide will become commonplace.
Whether you asked to be suicided or not, depending of course on how useful you are to the elites, or how much of a nuisance to them you are, respectively.
Me... a pessimist? Never! Just extrapolating current reality forward.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 08 2017, @03:03PM
I think you mean government-assisted suicide will become commonplace.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 08 2017, @03:00PM
This sounds great, I hope everyone else takes to the air...because I like to drive and bicycle. I already live in an area with relatively low traffic, and I look forward to enjoying empty roads in the future!
...Meanwhile, back in the real world, I agree with other posters that Uber is wasting money on something that isn't going to happen (at least not in any big way.)
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Wednesday February 08 2017, @07:21PM
Concurrently, physician-assisted suicide will become commonplace.
Shortly after which, it will become commoditized [wikipedia.org] due to increased demand.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 08 2017, @06:57PM
The article gives the impression of a semi-automated 'air train' service. People go to a certain location, board, and it takes you to another 'air train' station presumably where Uber will have driverless vehicles awaiting to take you to your final destination. This sounds a lot more practical, but a lot less exciting than the imagery we all dream up when thinking of 'flying cars.' I wonder how many people per car they're planning for and whether there will be a pilot or whether it will be fully automated. I also wonder what their emergency solutions will be - maybe some sort of parachute system with emergency thrusters? Seems pretty interesting and surprisingly practical.
(Score: 2) by gidds on Friday February 10 2017, @04:47PM
'Uber Elevate'? Surely they must have been thinking of this [youtu.be]...?
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