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 airbus reveal ambitious plan


Airbus reveals ambitious plan for autonomous flying taxis

Engadget

Users arriving at, say, an airport would book a seat on a so-called zenHop "CityAirbus" drone, then proceed to a "zenHub" helipad, according to the concept. They'd be flown to their destination for about the same cost as a taxi, since the ride would be shared by several passengers. Luggage would be delivered by another service (zenLuggage, of course), and the whole thing would be safeguarded from hackers by (wait for it) zenCyber. The company said that the CityAirbus multi-rotor, electric aircraft design has been "kept under wraps," though it did supply an artist's impression (above). The Airbus Helicopter subsidiary has been working on the drone-like design for two years, and it "could soon become reality without having to wait for too many regulatory changes," according to the press release. Airbus is also working on a drone delivery service (below) and plans to start testing it at a Singapore university by mid-2017.