Imagine entering a air taxi without a pilot and fly over the city to reach your destination. This futuristic vision is becoming a reality in Israel. In a revolutionary experiment, the country carried out its first public drone air taxi test in the city of Jerusalem on 9/13.
The drone in question was manufactured by a Chinese company and took off from the facilities of the renowned Hadassah hospital. Although the flight only lasted a few minutes and carried no passengers, it represents a significant step towards implementing this innovative technology.
The autonomous aircraft is powered by electricity and has an impressive ability to fly for more than 35 kilometers, according to the technology’s developers.
This considerable distance could transform urban transport and help combat the persistent traffic problems that plague Israel and many other places around the world.
The futuristic project
Since 2019, Israeli authorities have been working on an ambitious program to transport passengers and cargo using drones.
This program receives a significant investment of US$16 million, approximately R$78 million in direct conversion, and has the support of public and private companies. More than 20,000 flights have already been carried out with drones of different sizes as part of these efforts.
Photo: Dronery/Reproduction
Daniella Partem, senior director at the Israel Innovation Authority, expressed her enthusiasm regarding the potential of drone air taxi, stating:
“What you see here is an air taxi that, in the future, will be able to transport people from one place to another. So if you want to fly a medical drone and food deliveries at the same time, you will be able to do that. This will also help create an economically viable market.”
One of the greatest achievements of this project to date is the low rate of accidents recorded during testing. When fully developed, this network of drones It could be used for a variety of purposes, including medical transportation, delivering medicines, and even collecting blood samples.
However, there is still no defined deadline for the start of large-scale operations of this innovative system in Israel.
One potential challenge is the cost associated with using this technology. Although the developers have not estimated a price for the services, they acknowledge that it could be expensive to use the drones for deliveries of food or other low-cost products.
It is worth noting that Israel is not alone in its pursuit of drone air taxis. France is also conducting similar experiments in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games, which will be held in Paris.
This promising technology is quickly becoming a reality and could play a key role in transforming urban mobility in the future.
