The NASA and Uber scheme has been dubbed Urban Air Mobility or UAM. The US space agency hopes to introduce a “new future for city transport” through the development of flying personal vehicles. Under Urban Air Mobility, NASA’s engineers will test and develop systems of low altitude flight control.
Abby Tabor, from NASA’s Ames Research Center, said: “A new future for city transport is in the works at NASA – a future where both people and packages will take to the air.
“And this week, the agency is working with partner company Uber to evaluate certain things we already know and others we still need to invent to manage this expected new air traffic.
“The goal, known as Urban Air Mobility or UAM, is a safe and efficient air transportation system where everything from small package-delivery drones to passenger-carrying air taxis operate over populated areas – from small towns to largest cities.”
The technology is now under development at NASA’s Ames and Langley Research Centers.
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NASA said on Thursday, October 3, its Ames and Langley Research Centers were running tests that week to determine what data is needed for flying cars to safely cohabit in city airspace.
Dr Shin formerly led NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
In May 2018, he said: “The convergence of technologies and new business models enabled by the digital revolution, is making it possible to explore this new way for people to move within our cities.”
NASA engineer Davis Hackenberg added: “Now, our goals are to help and enable as much as possible what we like to think of as an entire ecosystem when it comes to Urban Air Mobility.
“We’re looking at best ways to do this and learning a lot as we go.”
In 2017, Uber’s head of product Jeff Holden named three cities for the company’s flying car project “Elevate”.
The three cities will serve as tests grounds for an aerial taxi service by the year 2020.
The cities were Los Angeles in California, Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Holden also confirmed at the time Uber has signed a deal with NASA to develop an air-traffic-control system.