Although there is still a lot of time left until the World Expo in Riyadh, because the exhibition entitled “The Age of Change: Together for a Predictable Tomorrow” will take place from October 1, 2030 to March 31, 2031, the organizers have such ambitious plans that preparations have already started. Today we learn that Thousands of flying taxis will transport guests during the eventso Austrian start-up FlyNow had to open special production facilities in Saudi Arabia.
And it’s hard to consider it a surprise, because We are talking about a country that likes to compete with the United Arab Emirates for the title of pioneer of new technologies, even if it means spending an unimaginable fortune. Suffice it to mention that the Saudis are currently working on a 170-kilometer skyscraper called The Line that will cross the desert, or a football stadium hanging on a cliff.
Now, add to that a fleet of miniature electric helicopters, announced on LinkedIn by Saudi Arabia Holding Co. CEO Mohammed AlQahtani. These relatively inexpensive one- and two-seater taxis provide a range of up to 50 km and allow you to fly at a maximum speed of 130 km/hbut it is unlikely they would be able to achieve it in the limited space of the Expo.
The two-seater version can carry up to 200 kgand the single-seater weighs only 210 kg – and they generate little noise, because we are talking about less than 55 dB at an altitude of 150 m, which is very important in the case of public transport. Surprisingly, however, we first heard about FlyNow helicopters in February this year, when the company conducted “ground tests” of a model verifying the concept, and there is no indication that the machines have been flown since then.
Considering how much remains to be done, the six years left until Expo 2030 don’t seem like a very long time. Especially since we are talking about an autonomous solution, and thousands of units are to be present at the exhibition, which means mass production, not a few demonstration units. And even after the promised Saudi regional office and assembly line are up and running, meeting this challenge will be a challenge, but where if not there?
Source: geekweek.interia.pl
