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Uber Wants to Fly You to Work

10/23/2016

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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.
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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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    Rick Richardson, CPA, CITP, CGMA

    Rick is the editor of the weekly newsletter, Technology This Week. You can subscribe to it by visiting the website.

    Rick is also the Managing Partner of Richardson Media & Technologies, LLC. Prior to forming his current company, he had a 28-year career in technology with Ernst & Young, the last twelve years of which he served as National Director of Technology.

    Mr. Richardson has been named to the "Technology 100"- the annual honors list of the 100 key achievers in technology in America. He has also been honored by the American Institute of CPAs with two Lifetime Achievement awards and a Special Career Recognition Award for his contributions to the profession in the field of technology.

    In 2012, Rick was inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame by CPA Practice Advisor Magazine. He has also been named to the 100 most influential individuals in the accounting profession in America by Accounting Today magazine.

    In 2017, Rick was inducted as a Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achiever, a registry of professionals who have excelled in their fields for many years and achieved greatness in their industry.

    He is a sought after speaker around the world, providing his annual forecast of future technology trends to thousands of business executives, professionals, community leaders, educators and students.

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