Uber, the fast-growing and sometimes controversial ride-sharing company, has revealed aspirations not only to be the app of choice when you need transport on the road -- but also in the air.
While the company continues to host controversy with its many legal difficulties with traditional taxi cab companies, it has just moved into the spotlight again but this time for its future direction.
In a recent interview, Chief Product Officer at Uber, Jeff Holden revealed plans for Uber to perhaps, one day, offer commuters the chance to avoid traffic and delays by taking to the sky.
The executive said that Uber is seriously looking at short-haul flights for city residents. Uber is exploring vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) technology which allows aircraft to hover, take off and land with a minimum of noise and space.
Researchers at the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are exploring the idea for military purposes and have developed the VTOL X-Plane, a prototype designed to increase the speed of VTOL vehicles beyond roughly 150 - 190mph but keep range, efficiency, and noise within acceptable limits.
Eventually, the researchers hope to create a model able to travel at a little over 450 mph, hover effectively and carry a payload of a "useful" weight.
Holden said VTOL is being explored by Uber now "so we can someday offer our customers as many options as possible to move around."
"It could change cities and how we work and live," the executive added.
While the executive believes such technology could be used in cities within a decade, this may be a stretch. But considering how quickly drone development has come in the last few years with companies including Amazon looking at drone delivery business opportunities, who knows?
While the company continues to host controversy with its many legal difficulties with traditional taxi cab companies, it has just moved into the spotlight again but this time for its future direction.
In a recent interview, Chief Product Officer at Uber, Jeff Holden revealed plans for Uber to perhaps, one day, offer commuters the chance to avoid traffic and delays by taking to the sky.
The executive said that Uber is seriously looking at short-haul flights for city residents. Uber is exploring vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) technology which allows aircraft to hover, take off and land with a minimum of noise and space.
Researchers at the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are exploring the idea for military purposes and have developed the VTOL X-Plane, a prototype designed to increase the speed of VTOL vehicles beyond roughly 150 - 190mph but keep range, efficiency, and noise within acceptable limits.
Eventually, the researchers hope to create a model able to travel at a little over 450 mph, hover effectively and carry a payload of a "useful" weight.
Holden said VTOL is being explored by Uber now "so we can someday offer our customers as many options as possible to move around."
"It could change cities and how we work and live," the executive added.
While the executive believes such technology could be used in cities within a decade, this may be a stretch. But considering how quickly drone development has come in the last few years with companies including Amazon looking at drone delivery business opportunities, who knows?
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