Flying Taxis and Smart Roads: 9 Urban Transport Concepts That Will Change Our Lives

1. UAVs

Artificial intelligence in transport and built-in autopilot functions will become commonplace in the near future. Already, major automakers such as BMW, General Motors, Audi and Volvo are developing cars that can drive without a driver. BMW, for example, intends to release its first drone in 2021. Google also develops its own cars of this kind.

And Tesla electric cars, starting with the Model S, can already quite themselves ride on autopilot - however, it is still forbidden for drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. Although some of them not only do this, but also allow themselves to exercise while driving.

In addition to passenger cars, Tesla creates electric trucks that also support autopilot functions. So, it is quite possible that not only taxis without drivers will soon appear, but also unmanned buses and road trains for long-distance cargo transportation.

2. Electric vehicles

A significant threat to the ecology of our planet is created by gases emitted by cars with internal combustion engines. Fortunately, more and more countries are paying attention to the transition to renewable energy sources - optimists argue that humanity will completely abandon oil and gas production in the next 30 years. Therefore, sooner or later, electric motors will replace gasoline and diesel engines.

Already now, an electric car (or a hybrid capable of running on both fuel and electricity) is no surprise. The most famous company with which the word "electric car" is most often associated is, of course, Tesla Elon Musk. But other large auto concerns also have models that you can get behind the wheel of now. This includes General Motors, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and even Porsche, which intends to release its first production electric car by 2020.

According to a Bloomberg study, by 2040, 55% of all cars sold on the planet will be powered by electricity. Today, most electric cars are sold in China, a country that is very concerned about environmental issues.

3. Robotic taxi

The Internet does everything to make life easier for shy people. Now, to call a taxi, you no longer need to call somewhere and negotiate with the dispatcher. Just press a button in the smartphone app and the carriage will be served to you without further ado. True, it is quite possible, then you will have to endure the conversations of a too sociable driver all the way.

Taxi drivers are likely to be out of work someday thanks to the development of autopilot in cars. For example, General Motors has created a fully autonomous robotic vehicle, the EN-V. It does not even provide a place for the driver - the EN-V is controlled independently, using sensors and lidars. Just indicate where you need to go and the EN-V will drive you. By the way, this thing works on electricity, so there are no harmful emissions. Similar autonomous capsules are already being used in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and at London Heathrow Airport, albeit in limited quantities.

For those who feel cramped in such a crumb, the Italian company Next has created a more spacious thing - something like a city mini-train. Each trailer can accommodate up to six passengers, and, if necessary, such modules can be combined into several pieces if you need to transport a large group of people to one destination. Also on autopilot, also with an electric motor. Next is being tested quite successfully in Dubai.

Finally, Toyota's concept is a fully autonomous electric vehicle. It is planned that it can also be ordered as a taxi through an application on a smartphone and it will take you wherever you want without a driver. But the e-Palette will have other uses as well. For example, he will be able to deliver parcels without assistance, deliver groceries and even serve as a mobile cafe or shop.

4. Hyperloop

The word Hyperloop is now on everyone's lips thanks to Elon Musk, who popularized it. This is a concept of high-speed trains that move in vacuum tunnels by means of magnetic levitation. There will be no air resistance in such tunnels, and trains will be able to rush there like a Concorde aircraft, developing speeds of up to 1,200 km / h.

Now several companies are engaged in the creation of this type of transport. First of all, this is Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (), which is threatening to launch its first passenger line in 2022. The company is already building highways in California, Toulouse in France, China and the United Arab Emirates.

Billionaire Richard Branson and his company Hyperloop One are going to compete with HTT. Their capsule was successfully tested back in 2017. The plans are to build its first track in India, in the state of Maharashtra.

The Chinese are keeping up with the United States, and their aerospace corporation CASIC (China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation) is now developing its own Hyperloop.

5. Trains with magnetic levitation

The concept of a train moving with the help of magnetic levitation appeared quite a long time ago - what about Elon Musk with his Hyperloop. Magnetic levitation vehicles were designed back in the 80s, but they never gained popularity.

Maglev trains have advantages over conventional trains: they are much faster. In addition, they are environmentally friendly and very quiet: the cars have no wheels, they literally hover over the railroad. And, unlike Hyperloop, Maglev roads are easier to build.

Such trains are already in operation in China - in Shanghai and Changsha. The country intends to launch several more maglev trains by 2020.

This is a very promising mode of transport and the fastest one to date. For example, the Japanese train Shinkansen LO in April 2015 accelerated to 603 km / h, which became a world record for public transport. The Japanese will put such trains into commercial operation by 2027. And over the next 20 years, the UK, Germany, the USA, India and Malaysia will acquire their maglev lines.

6. Air car sharing

Flying cars are the dream of science fiction writers of the past. And prototypes of such machines are already being successfully tested in metal. In the future, flying cars will solve the problem of congestion and allow fast travel long distances by air. And they will not need such a complex infrastructure as modern aircraft.

For example, Uber has partnered with helicopter manufacturer Bell to unveil a prototype of the Nexus, a flying hybrid electric vehicle. A kind of quadrocopter, which can be flown by four passengers with a pilot. By 2020, the thing will begin flight tests, and commercial use will start in 2023.

Google is not trifling on trifles, developing in parallel as many as three models of air electric vehicles. These are the BlackFly, which boasts of ease of handling, the Flyer, which can land on water, and a two-seat glider / multicopter cross.

And among the pioneers of the air car are the Lilium Jet, a vertical takeoff electric aircraft, and a prototype from Airbus, which will begin commercial flights in 2020.

7. Suspended bike paths

Do you have special lanes on sidewalks dedicated to cyclists in your city? In theory, this is very convenient and environmentally friendly, but in practice there are often more pedestrians than riders. Fortunately, humanity is now on its way to inventing a better option.

Suspended bike paths-tunnels can make cycling much more comfortable and faster. In addition, they will reduce the likelihood of traffic congestion and eliminate the risk of collisions with pedestrians or cars for cyclists.

A prototype of such an overpass was built in the Chinese city of Xiamen in 2017. It is now the longest suspended bike path in the world. It is located 5 meters above the ground and has a length of 7.6 km.

But much more ambitious projects are hatched by BMW in cooperation with Tongji University in Shanghai. The automotive giant intends to build its own network of isolated suspended bike trails called.

These futuristic designs will make life much easier for e-bike and scooter owners. Transparent tunnels, in which fans of two-wheeled electric vehicles will ride, will be equipped with climate control mechanisms, so that it will be possible to ride there in any weather at any time of the year. China is especially interested in developing cycling infrastructure because of its serious environmental problems.

8. Smart roads for smart cars

More than a million people die and tens of millions are injured in road traffic accidents every year. The emergence of smart roads connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) will reduce the accident rate of highways significantly. Special sensors built into the roadway and connected to the IoT will instantly alert smart cars to obstacles on the way, and they will be able to avoid collisions.

Such routes are already being built in Italy as part of the project. On smart roads, unmanned drones will monitor traffic and deliver first aid kits to drivers in the event of an accident. Smart track sensors will be able not only to tell cars where to steer, but also to record air pollution, wind speed and weather changes, and then transmit this information to the cars' on-board computers.

A similar track was built in Sweden. On top of that, the two-kilometer smart road was taught there to recharge electric cars and trucks while driving. If in the future charging stations are installed on the roadway, this will help to increase the autonomy of electric vehicles by several times.

And finally, the most unusual concept of the highways of the future - the so-called hybrid roads, they are also dynamic streets. Such a prototype is currently being developed by urban architect Carlo Ratti, together with Google Alphabet. Hybrid roads will automatically adjust to their users in real time thanks to the IoT system.

Carlo Ratti Architect, Director of the Senseable City Lab at MIT and Founder of Carlo Ratti Associati

Imagine a street where automatic cars drive in the morning, children play during the day, and on weekends it becomes a baseball court.

The light signals on the smart street will rebuild it on the go. For example, during rush hour, an additional lane will appear on the road, and in the evening most of the road will turn into sidewalk. And the road will also be able to independently melt snow and ice and automatically switch the brightness of the road markings to save electricity when the road is not in use.

9. Crazy Driving, Flying and Floating Things

Have you noticed how popular various types of personal transport have become recently? Segways, electric scooters, gyro scooters and mono-wheels have flooded the streets, significantly squeezing out ordinary bicycles, and there is no doubt that they will become even more popular in the future. Especially if a charging station for them can be found at every corner.

But there are also crazier concepts that also have the right to live in a metropolis. For example, how do you like a flying two-seater motorcycle? It can hover at a height of 3 meters above the ground and reach speeds of up to 70 km / h.

Love bicycles, but your two-wheeled friend's seat is too uncomfortable to ride long distances? Check it out. The structure may look awkward, but it is comfortable to sit on it - like in an armchair. You can ride both with the help of pedals and with an electric motor, which is powered by a battery. This thing can accelerate to 140 km / h.

There is also from the famous automaker. This is the same skateboard, but it flies. More precisely, it moves at a height of several centimeters above the ground using the same magnetic levitation.

For those with a strong concern for the environment, take a look at a personal hybrid of an electric car and a bicycle. When you want to pump up your legs, pedal. When you need to take a break - ELF will be powered by solar panels. Forget about gas stations. True, in inclement weather you will not go far.

And finally, the so-called tunnel bus, or Transit Elevated Bus (TEB). It is designed in such a way that passenger cars can easily pass under it. Unfortunately, its trials in China were suspended, but if the idea takes root in the future, it will be possible to forget about traffic jams (until some Gazelle tries to seep under the bus).

We make this section together with the Citymobil taxi ordering service. For Lifehacker readers, there is a 10% discount on the first five trips using the CITYHAKER promo code *.

* The promotion is valid in Moscow, Moscow region, Yaroslavl only when ordering through a mobile application. Organizer: City-Mobil LLC. Location: 117997, Moscow, st. Architect Vlasov, 55. PSRN 1097746203785. The duration of the action is from 7.03.2019 to 31.12.2019. Details about the organizer of the action, about the rules of its conduct, can be found on the organizer's website at:.