Uber Introduces “Uber Elevate” — Vertical Take-Off & Landing (VTOL) Aircraft Summit (Assignment 5 - Topic 1)

[Arslan Ijaz]

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/04/25/uber-introduces-uber-elevate-vertical-take-off-landing-vtol-aircraft-summit/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IM-cleantechnica+%28CleanTechnica%29

[Arslan Ijaz]

This is a brilliant idea of Uber to introduce VTOL aircraft summit. It will more likely be flying taxis that will be carrying passengers from one spot to another. I am excited to see this new revolutionary invention but I definitely have a few questions in my mind regarding Uber's VTOL aircraft plan. 

In cities like New York where roads are always very busy, these air crafts can't land on to those roads. Which implies that there will be some designated spots like the roofs of some buildings where these air crafts will park. So here is one limitation to these, to be able to ride on one of these air crafts you will have to get to that spot first and then get a ride. Same will be the case for the drop-off. 

These air crafts seem to be like a miniature of air planes, where are these going to be parked? They won't fit in the parking lots for cars and they will be too small for the parking space of an airplane. Is Uber planning on making their own parking spots for these air crafts?

What about the weather conditions? It affects the regular flights when there is a thunderstorm, heavy rain or a snow storm. So similarly these air crafts will also be limited to the severity of the weather. 

Which regulatory authority will be controlling these short rides? Definitely not the road police, so will this be controlled by civil aviation department? There is no information about this in the article or anywhere else.

Last but not the least, what type of fuel will be used in these air crafts? What steps is Uber taking into account to go sustainable green about this new project? If they are going to use liquid fuels then it will generate more pollution which is not good for the atmosphere. On the other hand, imagine if so many taxis are flying over, the chances are if they are not controlled properly they will not only get into an accident but also become a lethal hazard for the people on the roads or living in the buildings underneath their flight routes. 

[Martinez, Alfred S.]

This is a very interesting idea indeed - however, I am not sure as to how it fits into the business model. Uber does not build cars, let alone own any. I am not sure why they would invest in developing VTOL aircrafts... wouldn't that create a huge liability? 

Nevertheless, this is a very interesting concept and another potential avenue for commuters to take advantage of. Arslan: I had the same thoughts as for the limitations with landing locations. While not convenient in the sense of the VTOL taking a passenger from A to B, this can be supplemented with an Uber car ride. Perhaps, this is the intention. You also bring up another good point about the regulatory agency - this would be interesting as to how this issue would be addressed. This is a potential job creator if there is enough demand for it.

As stated in the article, Uber has no real opportunity in the development of their very own VTOL. It appears that they are simply interesting in seeking what the public response to this concept is. It sounds that this summit will not include a flight test of a VTOL - if it did, this would surely create more buzz from the public as it is something unique and innovative.

[Wojciech Trawinski]

Uber is one of those companies that seems to have come out of nowhere, but has quickly become an almost household name. Ride-sharing has made transportation less of a headache by creating a system that is easy to use and convenient. No longer do we have to hail a taxi or call a cab company to request a driver. Using the Uber mobile app, we can get from point A to point B without even having to speak to a single person. Uber simply makes transport easy. 

Where Uber happens to fall short however, (quick and simply as it already is), is that it still cant beat traffic. Needless to say, a traffic jam is a burden we all have come to face at least once in our lives. By trailblazing a way into the VTOL's market, Uber is setting the transportation industry up for the next phase of commuter travel. I think this is a great thing. Although still early in its public transport application, VTOL's are not in fact all that new technology. Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter jet has been using a VTOL's system since 2006, the same VTOL technology that was introduces in the late 1980's by Boeing. 

I think that what Uber is trying to accomplish will be a mountain of a task. Not only will the implementation of VTOL’s technology into civilian application be a technological challenge, but the amount of red tape set out by the FAA will also help to hinder progress. All in all, I think its something that isn’t impossible.  I think a lot more research and development is being pumped into this new technology. We see from how well toy drones and quad-copters have been doing that this technology is slowly making its way into societal norms. I really do look forward to learning and hearing more about Uber’s attempt at flying taxis.  

[Arslan Ijaz]

Martinez, It is definitely a great idea. But is it a practical idea? I doubt it. Coming back to the point of how a person will go to the point of a pickup or drop off? You have a reasonable point, but that will kill the whole idea behind it. The idea was to beat the traffic jam (in the cities like New York) and get to your destination as quickly as possible. So if you are going to ride a car and stuck in the traffic to get to the pickup point then what's is the point of all of this hassle? I agree that it will probably take less time in total as compared to driving the car but include the transition times and over all cost of the VTOL to compare if it will worth it. Going to the VTOL pickup point, waiting for the check in, waiting for the aircraft and then at your drop off again using a car to go to your destination. Honestly, does not make any sense to me. But may be for longer routes it will be a good option.

[Dobhal, Shivani]

Very interesting initiative by Uber in the form of the Uber Elevate VTOL aircraft! Besides the apprehensions against Uber's eVTOL that most of you have already pointed out, I would like to point out some other problematic situations that stood out for me. First, there are only a limited number of helipads and high-rise rooftops in any given state and unless these aircrafts are designed in a way that they have lower height restrictions in terms of landing, it would be incredibly difficult to load and unload passengers as the number of high-rises is also pretty limited. The idea of having customers take Uber rides from their drop-off point would work only to benefit the Uber franchise and it only defeats the entire purpose of having these aircrafts for better mobility and lesser traffic in the first place. And how about states like Washington DC that literally has a law in place to limit the height of buildings in the city. This program would serve no purpose there!

This article is mainly talking about the conference that Uber is holding to generate funds and ideas on different prototypes. So this initiative is in a primitive stage and might take decades to actually come to fruition. In terms of fuel, they should focus mainly on using clean, sustainable alternatives such as having these run on hybrid energy or electricity and have charging stations, as having them run on fossil fuels or diesel, again, defeats the purpose of combating pollution. That's another major issue that Uber will have to tackle during the planning phase.