Dubai Aiming to Launch Autonomous Flying Cars as Early as July

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After successfully completing a test run of an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of carrying a human, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that it hopes to have the EHang manufactured-UAV ready to start operation as soon as this July.

Designed to serve as an autonomous flying taxi, the UAV, an EHang 184, can transport someone that weighs as much as 220 pounds, along with a small suitcase.

“The trial run of the first AAV is in implementation of the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world,” says Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the RTA, through ArabianBusiness.com.

“It is also part of RTA’s endeavours to provide self-driving transport through engaging in the technological tests of self-driving vehicles under Dubai environment.”

In order to carry out this test run, the RTA had help from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, which issued the permits to conduct the test flight, and Etisalat, a telecommunications company, which provided the 4G data network used to facilitate communication between the vehicle and ground control center.

Equipped with a variety of features, including eight main propellers, which allows for ample support in case one propeller fails, the vehicle has a touch screen map for passengers to decide their destination by way of a preset route. Once the destination is picked, the UAV takes off, cruises to that location, and lands in a specific spot, all while the entire operation is controlled and monitored by the ground control center.

The UAV is capable of flying a maximum of 30 minutes, at a maximum speed of 100 miles per hour, and a maximum cruising height of 3,000 feet. Besides thunderstorms, the vehicle is built to handle all climatic conditions.

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