Slow down - flying cars won’t take off just yet. “With growing research in the renewable energy sector, I think there’s huge potential to consider other alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen, to power the flying cars in the future.” “Ideally, the aim is to design these green vehicles so that they reduce emissions whilst reducing traffic congestion on the ground as well,” says Dr Brown. As long as the batteries are recharged in a sustainable manner, for example using wind or solar energy, the flying cars won’t emit any harmful emissions into the environment. Prototypes of flying cars are currently being designed with electrically powered rotors meaning they can be battery operated. “And that's why we're calling them flying cars because they resemble the type of travel we would do with cars.” A win for the environment
This makes the mechanics much more complex than a helicopter which primarily has vertical propulsion,” says Dr Brown. “The underlying technology that’s so important with flying cars is the ability to both take off and land vertically and fly horizontally as well. While it probably won’t get someone from Sydney to Melbourne on one battery charge, flying cars could potentially travel up to 250 kilometres in one ride. They can fly a few hundred to a few thousand metres above the ground, occupying the air space above where you’d expect to see drones flying but below standard flying commercial aircrafts. “Some early adopters of this technology include rideshare companies and emergency services, given some vehicles are being designed to be more versatile than traditional aircraft and helicopters.” What exactly are they?įlying cars resemble a cross between a drone and a small aircraft, so most will have wings and typically include between four to eight rotors.
“We’re starting to see an emergence of flying car variants in development around the world, and even here in Australia, as more companies are investing in these vehicles. “Long-term, flying cars will offer us another means for short and personalised travel,” she says. UNSW aerospace design expert, Dr Sonya Brown from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, says the aim of these vehicles is to eventually provide another means of urban air mobility to help reduce congestion on the road. While the idea of hovering motor vehicles might once have been considered farfetched, it’s certainly not the case today.Ĭompanies around the world are reaching new heights to develop flying cars that could one day be flown by commuters to work or even over longer distances for leisure travel.
0 kommentar(er)
