Audi has launched a scale model of a flying taxi that flies and drives on its own. Audi continues to work on the Pop. Up Next unmanned concept.
In fact, the German automaker has completed a successful test of a modular system that uses a quadcopter to transport a small two-seater electric vehicle by air. On the ground, the quadcopter is separated from the car, which can autonomously transport two passengers to their destination. However, there is a small caveat: the tests were carried out using a scale model of 1: 4, so this is not quite a real test yet.
Audi is working on this project with partners Airbus and Italdesign, and as you can see from the photos above, the project has made steady progress. This recent test took place during Drone Week in Amsterdam and demonstrated the reality of the project.
Up to this point, we have seen concepts and interpretations of various concepts. The flying module was mainly in the form of a quadcopter, which was picked up by a ground module, better known as a car. At the same time, the goal has always been to move the car with air and drive the land unmanned.
Obviously, there is still a lot of work ahead, because we are talking not only about creating an electric vehicle, but also a quadrocopter. While autopilot is common on airplanes, such a system for cars has not yet been perfected. If you add the complexity of two modules working together in a 3D environment, it becomes even more challenging.
However, Audi has expressed confidence that autonomous flying taxis are the future of personal mobility in cities. Earlier, Audi noted that such a system would be able to work within 10 years, but this time there was no timeline for when the Pop. Up Next project will proceed to production trials.
It's safe to say that everything will depend on how well the full-size prototype performs, which Audi sees as the next step in the process.
