Airbus Autonomous Flying Car Prototype May Enter Testing This Year

Traveling by car can be incredibly frustrating and time consuming in the world's largest cities, a problem that'll only get worse if suitable mass transportation options aren't developed. While trains are one great option, the future may hold a better solution: autonomous ("self-piloting") aircraft dubbed flying cars that transport groups of people via the air rather than the ground.

We've known since last year that Airbus — namely, the company's relatively new Urban Air Mobility division — is exploring this future. Per concepts developed at this point, Airbus may one day develop self-piloting flying cars that work similarly to Uber: travelers will book a ride via a mobile app to claim their spot.

While Airbus is still experimenting with its ideas at this time, company CEO Tom Enders recently stated that a single-person aerial transport vehicle may enter testing by the end of 2017. Assuming such self-piloting aerial vehicles become a normal part of mass public transportation, cities could save ample amounts of both space and money.

Whereas ground transportation requires constant maintenance of roads, bridges, tracks, and tunnels, flying cars don't require any of those things. The reduced ground transportation could also decrease the number of roads needed, reducing noise in cities, as well as costs and pollution.

SOURCE: Reuters