‘Autonomous transport tech is definitely coming’
When Dubai said it aimed to create autonomous flying taxis, it was an idea that lived only in the imagination of the emirate’s rulers.
So, when Californian company Joby Aviation put in its successful bid to build these flying taxis, it really was a blank-canvas project, and that included the regulations — there were none.
In fact, developing regulations for autonomous transport in Dubai was needed before the full introduction of the technology, said an expert from the US flying taxi manufacturer.
The six-rotor electric flying taxi, made by the Santa Cruz company, has been on display at the World Governments Summit 2024 as Dubai prepares to introduce the revolutionary mode of transport by 2026, enabling passengers to catch their flying cabs from four stations across the city.
The initial plan was to have flying taxis above the city that operated without pilots, but the model on display clearly has a seat at the front with all the controls necessary to fly.
Speaking to Arab News, Oliver Walker-Jones of Joby Aviation said establishing the regulations to fly by this new method of transport posed difficulties.
“It doesn’t exist or is not quite mature enough yet.
“But the technology to allow autonomy is coming. We are working on it. We’re developing it. And it won’t be immediate, but it is definitely coming.”
The electric air taxi has four passenger seats and a pilot seat. It takes off and lands vertically, with a maximum speed of 320 kph. Though the aircraft is not fully autonomous, Walker-Jones said the taxi included a lot of automated technology already. “The pilot is sitting there with two controls. But there’s a lot of computing that happens within the aircraft to move those propellers, to tell them to turn them,” he said.
“It’s a little bit like a helicopter, but then it translates into a plane, now has a wing on it as well.” Walker-Jones acknowledged it would take time to get people to feel comfortable enough to ride this new form of technology, and that is where regulations come in.
The flying taxi is accommodate an increasingly crowded space, as more moon missions were scheduled.
He told WGS delegates: “The moon is a natural extension of Earth. Therefore, there ought to be a lot of governance and control on how to access the moon without discrimination.
“All nations ought to have a chance, whether they are first world or developing nations. We need to guarantee equal access and no appropriation of the moon.” Sedky said the issue would require genuine cooperation and new approaches.
“Things have been operating the same way for the past 60 years, but now that more nations have joined space committees, we will be forced to modernize and update laws and regulations,” he added. Aarti Holla-Maini, the UN director of outer space affairs, said regulated by the General Civil Aviation Authority in Dubai and, according to Walker-Jones, air travel is the safest form of transportation.
He noted that the aircraft is designed to be as safe as possible. “It has six different propellers.
So, let’s say one of them stops working for five more. Same with the battery case. There are four battery packs. Each of the motors is redundant. So, there are two motors powering each of these.” The pilot seat, in fact, would help ensure the safety of the aircraft and help people gradually adjust to the new mode of transport before it becomes fully autonomous, said Walker-Jones.
HIGH LIGHT
the same mistakes made on Earth should not be repeated on the moon. “This is a fascinating time for us to go back to the moon, but we have a massive challenge.
“We have a clean sheet there, unpolluted. We cannot do on the moon what we did to Earth and its orbits. We have learned the hard way and now we have the chance to be ahead of the game.
“We also need dialogue. Our biggest mistake will be to fail to establish regulations and allow countries to do whatever they please while others play catch up. This will surely make way for conflict,” she added.
Beyond the diplomatic hurdles to the peaceful and equitable exploration of space, private companies were also keen to see robust regulations put in place so that investors could pour money into projects with confidence.