Flying cars have always been a topic of much awe! From sci-fi movies to time-travel fantasies, every person has atleast once thought about the probability of them existing in real life. Well, you need to read to believe that a Japanese flying car project is infact in works and is trying to introduce ‘flying cars’ to the mainstream. Interesting, isn’t it?
What is the project all about?
SkyDrive Inc. recently announced that they have successfully done a test flight with one person onboard. The company went on to release several images of a machine with propellers hovering several feet off the ground, in a netted area for about four minutes.
The project initially begun as a volunteer project called Cartivator in 2012, and is funded by top Japanese companies including automaker Toyota, electronics company Panasonic and video-game developer Bandai Namco. There was a demonstration flight that happened three years ago but it went poorly.
The flying car is named SD-03
These flying cars will be introduced to the society as a means of convenient, accessible means of transportation in the skies. This new comfortable way of travel is set to ensure a safe, secure alternative to current ground traffic. The question however is, will there be new form of air pollution is on the cards? Ahem!
When is it set to become a reality?
The company’s CEO, Tomohiro Fukuzawa said in a report that the machine might become a reality by 2023, the only thing keeping it longer is the safety. Infact, in the world, more than 100 flying car projects have been tested and only a handful have reached culmination.
According to SkyDrive – The pilot was at the controls, while an assisted control system helped ensure flight stability and safety, the technical staff monitored flight conditions and aircraft performance at all times as backup.
Coming back to SkyDrive Inc., the machine can fly for around five to ten minutes, but as per Fukuzawa, Sky Drive Inc. recently conducted the public demonstration on August 25, at their Toyota Test Field, which is one of the largest in Japan and is also home to the car company’s development base. This remains not only the first handful of flying cars, but is also the first demonstration in the Japanese history for a flying car.
How will the car be relevant to normal life?
As per sources, the Japanese government is insisting on the possibility of providing relief in the case of disasters and connecting remote areas in Japan in the future.
In order to make the flying car a part of normal life, most test flights are likely to occur in the future to test them in different conditions, in an attempt to make sure the safety and technology of the flying car meet up with industry standards.
Are there any challenges involved?
The battery sizes, air traffic control, and infrastructure issues might be some challenges while trying to commercialize these flying cars.
With the advent of flying cars now, we can envision a future with air traffic and a lot of new technology making its way to the world.
