The Japanese company SkyDrive held the first flight demonstration of its “flying car“ in Tokyo. The launch of the service on the market in certain regions of the country is planned for 2028, Kazinform reports, citing Kyodo.
The test was conducted with the participation of Mitsubishi Estate and Kanematsu. The remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle (ROV) stayed in the air for approximately 3.5 minutes, flying about 150 meters above Tokyo Bay.
The electric model SD-05, with twelve rotors, is designed for three people and can travel from 15 to 40 kilometers without recharging.
The developers note that its compact size and light weight allow the device to land in places inaccessible to traditional helicopters and other aircraft, requiring spacious landing pads.
Demonstration flights and demonstrations at the terminal will continue until Saturday.
This mode of transport is expected to help reduce on traffic jams and public transport. The device was previously demonstrated at the World Expo in Osaka.
The company's CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa said that after 2030 the cost of a trip could be approximately twice as high as that of a taxi or even lower. He added that thanks to the speed, four to five times faster than that of a taxi, the time saved would justify the difference in price.
The news was published on the basis of an information exchange agreement between Fakti.bg and Kazinform