Uber announced a series of alliances to make the first demonstrations of a futuristic on-demand transport system using small aerial devices in 2020.
Uber had already released this project, called “Elevate”, last year. It was designed to decongest urban transport by using a network of vertical takeoff (VTOL), midway between the flying car and the mini helicopter.
These machines could take off, land and recharge on a network of ports installed on the roofs of parking lots in existing areas designated for helicopters or on unused terrains around transport interchanges.
Among the partners are the cities of Dubai and Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas, which could become the first to host such networks. Uber will work with the real estate firm Hillwood, with which they will design and build the “vertiports”.
Other partners include renowned aerospace companies or newer companies already working on VTOL, including the Brazilian group Embraer, the American Bell Helicopter and Aurora Flight Science and the Slovenian Pipistrel Aircraft.