What comes to mind when you think about the future? If your answer was flying cars, then you’re a person who appreciates our current transportation systems. Most people overlook modern transportation. However, life would be quite different if we didn’t have such systems in place because transportation has come a long way. From the days of people walking hundreds of miles to planes flying passengers at 500 miles per hour. As technology advances, so does our infrastructure. Let’s look at some of the most mind-blowing futuristic transport systems.
1. Autonomous Aerial Vehicles
In the future, there are plans to develop a crewless aerial vehicle that will be used to transport humans. Abbreviated as AAV, these cars resemble drones and rely on GPS technology to get people from point A to B.
The vehicle-cum-aircraft will have sensors to identify objects such as buildings and trees. It will also be equipped with smart technology that collects information related to payment and routes. So far, there are two AAVs in operation. The Ehang, which carries passengers airborne, is the perfect creation of an Autonomous Aerial Vehicle. Then there is the Skydio.
2. Delivery Drones
In 2016, the internet went wild when Amazon made its first drone delivery in Cambridge, England. Despite being relatively old, this technology was never conceptualized until the early 2010s. As the name implies, Delivery Drones ferry lightweight packages over short distances and are remotely controlled. However, there are plans to have Delivery Drones controlled by Artificial Intelligence.
Delivery Drones, like Autonomous Aerial Vehicles, rely on GPS and sensors for navigation. The main problem hindering the implementation of this futuristic transport system is the aviation laws in different countries. Due to safety and security concerns, drones can’t be legally used to transport cargo in many parts of the world.
Companies often like to learn more about DJI Mavic 4 Pro to see how they can incorporate advanced drone technology into their operations. These drones offer high-quality imaging and reliable navigation systems that can enhance monitoring and delivery tests within legal limits.
3. Driverless Cars
For a long time, people have been fascinated with self-driving cars and by the look of things, we are on the way towards achieving this dream. With cars such as Teslas, there is an autopilot feature that facilitates hands-free driving, lane-change assist, adaptive cruise control, and park assist.
Note that we have yet to actualize the concept of driverless cars because, in Tesla, these vehicles are semi-autonomous. Soon, driverless cars can see and react depending on the surroundings. As expected, they will have numerous sensors, radars, and cameras. GPS systems will also be needed to operate these driverless cars.
4. Flying Hotels
It seems that cruise ships are no longer interesting. This is because inventors are working on a theoretical concept known as flying hotels, flying counterparts of cruise ships. Think of a massive plane with all hotel amenities such as accommodations, swimming pools, bars, and restaurants.
Though it’s still a mystery how a flying object this big can be suspended above the clouds for weeks and sometimes months, it’s an idea that engineers are intrigued about and might be conceptualized by 2070.
Recently, engineer Hashem Al-Ghaili shared his vision of a flying hotel called the Sky Cruise Hotel. It’s powered by 20 nuclear fusion engines and manned by an AI pilot. Al-Ghali envisions his flying hotel constantly being airborne and landing only when picking up or dropping off passengers.
5. Flying Cars and Taxis
This idea has been embraced significantly in Sci-Fi movies, substantially increasing its future probability. Let’s face it: taxis have become too congested in urban areas. This has worsened due to the popularity of online taxi services like Uber. The invention of flying taxis would ease congestion on the ground and speed up transportation.
However, this means that flying cars have to be first invented. Also, infrastructure has to be redesigned to accommodate this mode of transport. For instance, buildings may have to add parking spots on the tenth floor.
On the negative side, emissions may also increase unless the engines are designed to be fully electric. Uber once had a flying taxi division working on this concept. However, this department was sold to Joby Aviation Air Taxi in 2020.
6. Hyperloop
Unlike bullet trains, Hyperloop is a ground-level transportation system where passengers or cargo are placed in a sealed, low-pressure tube. They are then transported to another location at speeds of up to 800 miles per hour.
Elon Musk recommended this futuristic transport concept in his white paper. However, it has only been conceptualized slightly by the Maglev trains that reach 300 miles per hour in Shanghai and Japan.
7. Smart Roads
Smart roads are intended to collaborate with driverless cars to offer passengers a more streamlined experience. They are digitized versions of the current roads that communicate directly with cars. They are equipped with sensors and sometimes solar panels to power vehicles while still in transit. Smart roads eliminate the need for police officers and street signs because they can relay this information to cars and drivers in real-time.
This type of road will most likely be a part of a smart city infrastructure. One of the countries that has tried to implement it is Iceland, which has a glowing smart highways lab design. This idea revolves around fitting lanes with lights that improve motorist vision at night. Integrating cashless payment centers on tolls is also a part of smart road technology.