Commuting by Air on the Horizon

Depending on the location, commuting to or within a city can add hours to a workday. Although there may be various options for travel—personal vehicles, bus, subway, train, taxi, rideshare—most can’t avoid the traffic or a long travel time of ground transportation.

In the realm of science fiction, people can just take an air taxi that is lightning fast. While the world hasn’t quite met up with that creative solution, work is underway to make it happen.

Uber unveiled its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle concept at the 2018 Uber Elevate Summit. Since then, it has partnered with the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and U.S. Army Research Labs to develop technology that will set the groundwork for a rideshare network in the air.

Uber hopes to have flight demonstrations in 2020 in Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles—cities that cover a large area of land and are known for sluggish traffic. The ultimate goal is to have the UberAIR program up and running in those locations by 2023. This partnership aims to help make the network happen, which could potentially turn a one-hour commute into 10 minutes.

An electric aviation rideshare program is in the works. (Image courtesy of The Cockrell School of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin.)

“UT is uniquely positioned to contribute to this new technology, and Uber has recognized that,” said Jayant Sirohi, associate professor in UT’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and the UT team leader on the project. “In addition to the technical expertise we bring to this area, we also already have a rig to test new rotor configurations right here on campus.”

For eVTOL to happen, the aircraft must be electric and cruise between 150 and 200 mph at 1,000 to 2,000 feet. The goal is for each to last up to 60 miles on one charge. Uber is also working with NASA to develop unmanned traffic management concepts and aerial safety systems.

Sirohi’s team is working on a concept that uses stacked co-rotating rotor, propellers, which have shown to be quieter and enhance an aircraft’s performance. ARL is helping with funding, as well as analyses and testing, which may have far-reaching benefits besides ridesharing.

“By working closely with Army technical modeling experts, aeronautical experts from UT who can validate the models and Uber’s drive to commercialize the technology, we leverage our best resources to rapidly advance and transition this critical component of Uber Elevate,” said Heidi Maupin, ARL South regional lead. “This will benefit Uber and commuters who take advantage of a new transportation method and also benefit the Army by providing an effective means of reconnaissance, surveillance and secure communications that will ultimately lead to enhanced protection of our soldiers.”

Interested in more aviation innovations? Check out Airbus to Install First 3D-Printed Components into Aircraft Cabins and NASA Unveils Name of Its Experimental “Quiet” Supersonic Jet: X-59 QueSST.