Thanks to a team of researchers at MIT, we're one step closer to finally having the flying car technology that science fiction of the 1950s promised us. But that progress also means we're one step closer to drones and robots taking over everything. (Which to be fair, they already kind of are.)
A team at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) is working to help achieve all our flying car dreams by developing drones that can both drive and fly.
The team at CSAIL recently released a paper in which they lay out the plans for their project. It includes eight quadcopter drones with the ability to fly or drive through a course that includes parking lots, landing pads, and no-fly zones. The algorithm essentially lays out the base for large-scale transportation.
The little machines could have a major impact on travel and transportation. With the new technology, drones would have the ability to fly into disaster zones not in proximity to roads, and help transport people or objects.
And while the project is currently working with drones, it could be a huge development for flying cars in the future.
“While there are obviously still big challenges to scaling up to vehicles that could actually transport humans, we are inspired by the potential of a future in which flying cars could offer us fast, traffic-free transportation," says CSAIL Director Daniela Rus.
Who knows, maybe far flying cars will be here a lot sooner than we think.
Topics Drones
