[ad_1]
The Japanese electronics manufacturer NEC Corp. Monday presented a "flying car", a big machine resembling a drone with four propellers that hovered regularly for about a minute.
The test flight, at a height of 3 meters, was held in a gigantic cage, as a precautionary measure, in an NEC facility in the suburbs of Tokyo.
Koji Sasahara / AP
The propeller machine from NEC Corp. hovers in the company's facilities in Abiko, near Tokyo.
Preparations such as repeated machine checks and journalists' warnings of wearing a helmet took longer than the two brief demonstrations.
The Japanese government is behind the flying cars, with the aim of getting people to walk there by the 2030s.
Koji Sasahara / AP
The propeller machine from NEC Corp. is seen during a test flight at the company's facilities in Abiko.
READ MORE:
* Flying cars: a dream of the 1950s takes off without the rules to stay in the air
* Uber plans to test flying taxis in Dallas and Dubai by 2020
Koji Sasahara / AP
NEC Corp. presented a big machine resembling a drone with four propellers that floated regularly for about a minute.
Among government-backed efforts, there is a vast test drive for flying cars, built in an area devastated by the 2011 tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster in Fukushima, northeastern Japan. .
Mie, a central Japan prefecture frequently used by Hollywood celebrities as a vacation resort, also hopes to use flying cars to connect its various islands.
Similar projects are emerging around the world, such as Uber Air in the United States.
SCREENGRAB / THE STREET
The design of Uber air taxi.
A flying car from the Japanese start – up Cartivator crashed quickly during a demonstration in 2017.
Tomohiro Fukuzawa, General Manager of Cartivator, who attended the rally on Monday, said his machines also flew longer in recent times.
Koji Sasahara / AP
The Japanese electronics manufacturer has shown a "flying car", a big machine resembling a drone and four propellers that hovered regularly for about a minute.
NEC is among the 80 sponsoring companies for the Cartivator flying car, which also includes Toyota Motor Corp. group companies. and the video game company Bandai Namco Holdings.
The goal is to ensure a smooth transition from driving to flying as in the world of Back to the futureAlthough considerable obstacles remain, such as the battery life, the need for regulations and safety.
Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd and DeLorean, their great traveler, in Back to the Future.
NEC officials said their flying car was designed for unmanned flights, but used the company's technology in its other activities, such as space travel and cybersecurity.
Often called EVtol, a flying airplane is defined as an electric airplane, or electric hybrid, with driverless capabilities that can land and take off vertically.
Koji Sasahara / AP
A big machine like a drone with four propellers floated regularly for about a minute.
All flying car concepts, which look like drones big enough to hold humans, promise to be better than helicopters.
Helicopters are expensive to maintain, noisy and require trained pilots.
Flying cars are also considered useful for disaster relief.
Koji Sasahara / AP
The propeller machine from NEC Corp. is seen during a test flight at the company's facilities in Abiko, near Tokyo.
The Uber Carpool and Transportation Network plans demonstration flights in 2020 and commercial operations in 2023. It has chosen Dallas, Los Angeles and Melbourne as the first city to offer what it calls Uber Air flights.
Dubai has also been aggressive in its search for flying cars.
Japanese officials said Japan has a good chance of becoming a global leader as the government and the private sector work closely together.
Yuri Kageyama / AP
The Monday test flight of up to 3 meters high was held in a gigantic cage, as a precaution.
Source link
