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Future of mobility: Driverless flying cars

While we are still a while away from seeing actual flying cars in cities around the world, one such concept has made its way to Dubai at the 38th edition of the Gitex Technology Week.
On display at the etisalat stand at the exhibition is Pop.Up Next's Future Mobility Concept, an unmanned flying electric vehicle that is jointly developed by Audi, Airbus, and ItalDesign. Pop.Up Next's philosophy behind the design anticipates the challenges that the next 50 years will bring. It represents a vision of the potential offered by future technologies when it comes to transportation.
The concept aims to tackle issues linked to city planning and traffic in large urban centres that are increasingly becoming one of the priority aspects for safeguarding our planet. The Pop.Up Next system aims to free commuters from the need to drive through a flexible, shared and adaptable new way of moving within cities.
The vehicle combines the flexibility of a small two-seater ground vehicle with the freedom and speed of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) air vehicle, thus bridging the automotive and aerospace domains.
Also on display at the etisalat stand is the Rinspeed Oasis Future Mobility Concept, an electric vehicle that can be owned or shared with others through a ride-hailing app. People can see the number of cars available and then choose which one to hail based on the passenger already inside.
The car itself is a self-driving, electric vehicle with a top speed exceeding 130kmph, Rinspeed claims. It can accelerate to 60mph in 9.7 seconds. The car features a curved 5K widescreen display that comes with voice and gesture control. The interactive display system, made by Harman, lets you do everything from watching movies to alerting you of upcoming obstacles, and even telling you when the light will turn green, through a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system. The car also comes with a heads-up display to provide guidance when making turns when a driver is behind the wheel.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com