After the excitement generated by the driverless car’s flypaper technology to deal with hitting pesky pedestrians, patented by Google, the Friday File reports a patent filing showing that the Zee.Aero company is working on an all-electric plane that can take off and land vertically-a flying car. This is another of Larry Page’s initiatives. Mr. Page is the co-founder of Google.
In this article from Bloomberg Businessweek a new way of independent air travel free of busy streets full of vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians is being visioned. There have also been sightings from other pilots of a strange-looking airplane taking off from a nearby Hollister airport. Mr. Page’s two companies, Kitty Hawk and Zee.Aero are cloaked in secrecy. However it appears that advancing technology, materials, and navigation systems means that this could be a reality.
Paul Moller a retired professor from University of California at Davis developed the M200X Skycar that flew at 50 feet above the ground. Speaking at the Palo Alto Research Centre in 2000, Moller spoke to a young Larry Page that was very interested in the technology. There has since been forays into this new technology over time, with thoughts of of parking garages, roofs and highway verges seen as access points for aerocars.
The Bloomberg article is compelling reading on the history of the inventors and development of the aerocar, with an inkling of how far this technology has come. While there are loads of liability, navigational, and general legislation that would need to be enacted, the technology may indeed be possible. Will this be the next disruptive technology?
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Reblogged this on Sandy James Planner.
Well we have flying people like jet man, hover board man, drone man already so I don’t see any need to encase them, place them on wheels and leave them stuck in a traffic jam. What is the point of flying anyway? No, no flying cars in the future just flying people.