According to Peter Thiel’s statement in 2011, the Silicon Valley community had been promised flying cars but ended up with 140-character tweets. Thiel questioned when the anticipated advancements of the future would finally come to fruition.
It appears that the upcoming time has reemerged in the previous year.
Suddenly, there has been a rapid transformation occurring. The hot topic of discussion is the emergence of flying taxis, as well as supersonic and hypersonic flight. The technology sections of business outlets are brimming with concepts, developments, and visions for the advancement of transportation.
The significance of these advancements lies in their effect on the user experience rather than mere “behind-the-scenes” progress. However, upon examining the evidence, it is difficult to deny that the rate of innovation in the transportation industry has been accelerating.
When it comes to aircraft, it is not true that the industry has not made any advancements. In fact, aircrafts have become safer, more environmentally friendly, quieter, and are able to travel longer distances compared to 50 years ago. However, their speed has not shown much improvement – in fact, the majority of them are slower now than they were back in the 1960s, as stated in this article.
The current situation is distinct from before. Let’s examine the factors behind the surge of innovation in three categories of travel: short, medium, and long distance.
A significant amount of stress is placed on transportation systems specifically in urban areas due to the global trend of people moving to cities. As a result, the majority of the most prominent and cutting-edge advancements can be observed in urban hubs.
In the past year, the rise of cities has paved the way for the introduction of new players. For example, Bird, a company that offers electric scooters, has reached a valuation of over $2 billion since its launch in 2018. Similarly, Uber acquired Jump, an e-bike sharing provider, for $200 million in April of the same year. This trend of innovative business models causing disruption has now extended beyond just the traditional taxi industry to other modes of transportation.
Currently, there are few visible projects in the streets that are focused on adding a third dimension to urban transportation. Airbus refers to the sky above cities as “underutilized” and is looking to utilize it for urban mobility. Uber Elevate is working towards having a fleet of flying taxis, known as eVTOLs, in cities like LA and Dallas as early as 2023. The company reassures us, along with Peter Thiel, that further launches are not as far away as we may think.
As mentioned in our previous article on the electrification of flight, the aviation industry is actively working towards enhancing battery technology and the power grid. Industry experts and suppliers are collaborating with regulators to address the challenges associated with flying objects equipped with rotors, such as noise and safety concerns. This is crucial in order for artificial intelligence and sensor technology to successfully guide us through the skies.
A distance of 1,000 miles.
The demand for efficient door-to-door transportation options is increasing, and this is where advancements like Hyperloop come into play. These innovations aim to complement the future’s multi-modal transportation system by connecting urban areas and offering high-speed travel to airports.
More than 10,000 miles
Some individuals have a strong desire to go extremely far and at a rapid pace.
According to reports, Japan Airlines has preordered 20 of the 55-seater supersonic planes from Boom, a rising company in the aviation industry. It is said that two other startups in the same field are also planning to launch their products in the market. Additionally, Lockheed Martin and NASA are currently developing their own “low-boom” supersonic prototypes.
In an effort to match their competitors, Boeing revealed a concept for a hypersonic passenger plane last month. This aircraft has the capability to achieve a speed of Mach 5.
The resurgence of supersonic (and hypersonic) flight can be attributed to a variety of factors, such as the advancement of technologies like additive manufacturing and materials. These developments have renewed the interest in 3D-printed, lightweight aircraft components that have the capability to withstand the extreme conditions of hypersonic or rocket flight.
Various technological advancements also facilitate the construction and upkeep of these airplanes.
Advancements in big data and AI technology will allow both manufacturers and operators to adopt a more proactive approach to maintenance and health management. This will be especially crucial for unmanned vehicles and space exploration, as well as for military and commercial aircraft.
The use of blockchain technology in the aerospace industry is already well-established, allowing for the sharing of information on aircraft parts among all stakeholders in the value chain. This is just one example of the ongoing digital transformation that enables the implementation of the digital thread and digital twin.