Toyota buys flying car startup

[Sad, little man]

I hope they didn't pay too much...


https://youtu.be/nBamPRd7-uU

This video is full of win, from the vaguely expressed Japanese disappointment, to the artistic pan to nothing at the end.

Supposedly they want a flying car to light the torch at the 2020 Olympics. What could possibly go wrong? :lol:

[Godson]

They light the torch with the rubble of the flying car.

[balki]

when does drone = car?

[novicius]

https://www.engadget.com/2016/01/06/184-delivery-drone-for-people/

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1iyCgy1juHc/maxresdefault.jpg

[Crazed_Insanity]

It's not suppose to be like this... Obviously we've veered off to a different timeline than the one we've seen in Back to the Future!

I think I like Musk's Boring Company underground concept better than having these type of flying cars!

Youtube's subsequent recommended video of AirBus's concept:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaKD6LYj5eE

That's actually pretty cool.

[MR2 Fan]

Flying cars are not the future for 95% of people. Perhaps a few people can/will use them, but I don't think it's practical for a ton of reasons.

[Yw-slayer]

It'll be fine if they are autonomous and people aren't allowed to fly them. Things are bad enough without the Y-Axis in play.

[Godson]

Lol

[Drachen596]

Flying cars are not the future for 95% of people. Perhaps a few people can/will use them, but I don't think it's practical for a ton of reasons.

The only people with them will be the same ones who fly around in helicopters now.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I think the key, as YW pointed out, is that they need to autonomous... or at least have sufficient object avoidance built in that flyers won't crash and land on things.

The tech is already here with current drones in the market. I guess Toyota is just experimenting with scaling things up...

The main show stopper is probably range/endurance. These flying things just can't fly too long nor too far based on existing battery tech.

I really think AirBus's concept is probably the most feasible. Allowing short hops in the air when needed, but most of the time, it's just a regular EV on the road. On longer trips, stuff these modules in a train/hyperloop... I could certainly get use to that kind of cleaner future.

[dodint]

Autonomous would be great simply for the fact that it might be the thing that you need to make it viable for the masses (well, you know, the wealthy ones).

With an autonomous craft it can land me on the roof of my building in the morning and then piss off, either go back home or go land somewhere that I'm leasing space. As it is now if I fly it myself it has to stay with me all day, which renders the pad at work useless for anyone else. Or I have to have someone fly me, which is prohibitively expensive and defeats the purpose.

[Kchrpm]

I thought the point of a flying car was that it didn't need a pad to land on.

I'm never exactly sure what people will be happy with for a flying car, honestly, because everyone just assumes we'll have super-simple anti-gravity any day now that leaves no wake and makes no noise.

[dodint]

Are we talking about that behemoth in the picture above? I suppose I could land it on the open top of my parking garage. I'd have to pay for about 6 spaces though.

[Kchrpm]

That's what I mean, anything that needs to be landed on a pad is not a "flying car" to me, it's a helicopter.

[dodint]

Fine. Give me an autonomous helicopter already and stop being obtuse.

You don't think losing the need for workday storage wouldn't help these suckers fly (hehe) off the shelves? Price one under $200k with some kind of warranty and I'll buy one right now.

[MR2 Fan]

Fine. Give me an autonomous helicopter already and stop being obtuse.

You don't think losing the need for workday storage wouldn't help these suckers fly (hehe) off the shelves? Price one under $200k with some kind of warranty and I'll buy one right now.

gives a whole new meaning to "air pollution".

My problem with flying cars concepts en masse is that they're a solution to a problem we shouldn't even have to begin with...basically badly designed ground transport options, and the solution of a flying car can bring a LOT of other problems, like when they crash.

[Kchrpm]

You don't think losing the need for workday storage wouldn't help these suckers fly (hehe) off the shelves? Price one under $200k with some kind of warranty and I'll buy one right now.

Workday storage never crossed my mind, because I never went halfway between the "car" part that just parks wherever and a helicopter that is flown by a separate pilot and goes wherever it wants as needed. I guess the market would be pretty big if it's just making helicopter travel cheap, vs making cars fly.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Helicopters are pretty mature now. Not sure what else they can do to make it cheap. These flying cars are unknown... so they're exploring the possibilities!

If drones today can be folded to fit in your backpack, I'm sure 'flying cars' can fold itself up to fit within a parking space... flying car still needs to park somewhere, no? I don't see a big deal with having a designated landing 'pad'.

Anyway, flying or not, autonomous vehicles should reduce the need for parking spaces. Vehicle ownership will probably also be a thing of the past... as it drops you off, it can just run off to pick up some other passenger somewhere else. People working in crowded metro areas probably will love the savings in parking fees!

I think leasing or subscribing or ubering these rides are probably the only way to make autonomous legally viable. This way, the liability will fall squarely on the the shoulders of the operator or manufacturer. I can't imagine the legal mess of my autonomous vehicle involved in a crash when I'm not on board. Even if I AM onboard and not driving..., why should I be held responsible? Why do I still need insurance in auto-mode? Future of riding around town should become cheaper and easier..., but probably very boring... perfect opportunity for them to prime us with more advertising while we're trapped in these vehicles! If you listen to/watch these ads, your ride will be free... if you choose to work or sleep during this ride, then it'll be $5! ;)

[Yw-slayer]

Shared autonomous flying cars/taxis. As it is, most cars spend most of their lives taking up space.

[thesameguy]

Yeah, the combo of ride sharing and flying vehicles is really intriguing.

[Godson]

Yeah, the combo of ride sharing and flying vehicles is really intriguing.

I sense a new startup...flying Uber if you will...

[Yw-slayer]

I really can't wait for autonomous shared cars, but a flying one would just be another level altogether. Hopefully in my lifetime!

[thesameguy]

It'll be interesting to see how that develops, especially in combination with environmental considerations. Making cars efficient and clean is one thing, it's an entirely different concept to do that while defying gravity. Maybe more short-range shared/commercial flight will be more environmentally sensitive than ground transportation once you start large-scale ride sharing.

[Yw-slayer]

https://lilium.com/

This is essentially the holy grail of commuting. But like I said, I'm hoping for autonomous cars to be mandated first. Everyone who wants to drive their own car should have to pay very high insurance premiums and pass a tough, annual licence test.

[thesameguy]

Why high insurance premiums? Shouldn't a premium be commensurate with the cost of the coverage? Maybe you mean purchase substantial coverage?

[Yw-slayer]

Yeah, what I mean is, you'll have to pay shitloads more money for the privilege (which it is) of operating a motor vehicle. So, I think probably not only will you have to buy full and substantial coverage, but it will be for a very high premium because it will be assumed that you'll be a worse driver than the robots, and therefore higher risk.

[Kchrpm]

https://lilium.com/

This is essentially the holy grail of commuting.

Whoa. Note to self, watch videos of that later.