aston martin wants to cover transportation by land, sea and air. After the presentation of his luxury submarine Project Neptune, the British brand has unveiled the Vision steering wheeland an Flying car that not only fulfills the fantasies of many by flying through the airspace in the purest Blade Runner style, but will also be able to do it without a pilot and in the most efficient way possible.
Throughout history there are many brands that have presented the most unlikely prototypes, although we must not forget that we are in an era in which advancing by leaps and bounds. Without going any further, Uber goes the same way with the creation of its flying taxis for the city of Dubai, whose presentation is scheduled for 2020.
This will be the Vision Steering Wheel
The Vision Concept Steering Wheel has space for three adults and your mission will be urban and intercity air transport Free of traffic jams. will have the capacity to take off and land vertically as long as you have enough space in the environments where you move. Although as is foreseeable, if it becomes a reality it will only be able to do so in the spaces designated for flying vehicles, such as heliports.
To achieve all that it promises, you will take advantage of the latest technological advances in aerospace engineering, hybrid engines and autonomous driving systems. Hence the participation of the aeronautical company Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, that of Rolls-Royce, which has extensive experience in implementing hybrid systems in the most diverse vehicles, and Cranfield University. All this with a design devised by the Aston Martin team.
aircraft technology
Paul Hutton, CEO of Cranfield Aerospace Solutions stated at the presentation of the Volante Vision Concept: “The introduction of autonomous and electric propulsion technologies in new aircraft designs is inevitable and challenging, […] we are excited to play this key role in Volante Vision Concept and thus be at the forefront of this revolution in the aerospace sector.
high performance hybrid
However light the future may be Flying car, to take flight you will need a good dose of strength. Aston Martin has not revealed any details about the capacity of its engines, but although efficiency is its main objective, the electric motors they will have to be up to the requirements of an aircraft.
Director of Rolls-royce electrical Rob Watson said: “Rolls-Royce has already delivered hybrid electric systems for other vehicles, including ships and trains, and we are very excited about the potential of this technology in the aerospace sector. This is a great opportunity to collaborate on a pioneering project that will use high-performance hybrid-electric propulsion technologies for personal air mobility prototypes that could transform the future of transportation."
Autonomous like a Tesla
It seems that the technology of Autonomous driving will not be limited to private land vehicles as tesla cars or those of Waymo. A particularly interesting functionality, for the increased difficulty in operating an aircraft and the qualification that drivers should therefore have. Professor Iain Gray, Director of Aerospace Engineering at the Cranfield UniversityHe said: "The Vision Concept Flyer is a good example of Cranfield's unique capabilities in digital aviation, autonomous systems and electrification of the aerospace industry."
We will have to wait a few years to see if Aston Martin turns the Volante Vision Concept into a production model. Of course, companies like Uber are showing that there is interest in getting personal air transport vehicles, even if they have little left of "flying car". Either way, anything is possible if Aston Martin receives sufficient funding and support for your project.
If you want to see how the flying vehicles move, take a look at the Hoversurfing Scorpion. A flying motorcycle that uses drone stabilization technology to transport a person through the air.
