Earlier this week, South Korea began testing a new system that will be used in controlling urban air mobility vehicles (UAM). These tests will determine whether the new mode of transport will be used for travel between major airports.
According to a Reuters report, the new air taxis could potentially cut travel time between major airports by two thirds in the capital city of Seoul. Back in 2020, the country had announced a roadmap that detailed the timeline for the commercialization of urban air travel by 2025. The local transport ministry also expects the service could reduce travel times for distances between 30 to 50 kilometers from an hour on road to just 20 minutes by air.
Transport Minister Noh Hyeong-ouk stated during the control system demonstration that “As UAM is expected to become one of the common means of transportation that citizens use in daily life, it is absolutely imperative that we test and try out UAM services in various environments.” The test had a pilot fly a two seat model built by Germany’s Volocopter at Seoul’s Gimpo Airport to test the controls and coordination. The UAM in qusetion was a VTOL (vertical take off and landings) based and featured helicopter like rotors.
Notably, this craft can also be piloted and even operate autonomously. Although, the ministry official stated that a pilot must man the craft to ensure safety of the passenger onboard, which would also aid in general public’s acceptance of the new mode of travel. Currently, local designers have also shown off a model of their own drone aircraft, with a full sized prototype model expected to begin test flights by 2022.
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