Airbus unveils its self flying 'Uber air' taxi: Vahana set to take to the skies by 2020 and can be summoned by smartphone

• Airbus is creating flying taxis called CityAirbus, and an autonomous helicopter under Project Vahana
• Aerospace group says passengers will be able to summon self-piloting flying taxi on their smartphone
• Prototype testing will begin in 2017 and Airbus hopes to have a model for sale on the market by 2020
• It seat one person under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor and operates like a helicopter

Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour could soon be a thing of the past.
Airbus is working on a fleet of air taxis with the hopes of relieving urban congestion and the firm has unveiled its first conceptual renderings.
Called Vahana, this sleek self-flying aircraft seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor and the vehicle is designed to operate like a helicopter.

Airbus has been working on a fleet of air taxis with the hopes of relieving urban congestion and the firm has unveiled its first conceptual renderings. Called Vahana, this sleek self-flying aircraft seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor and is summoned like an Uber

Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.
‘At Vahana, we are passionate about personal flight. The aircraft we’re building doesn’t need a runway, is self-piloted, and can automatically detect and avoid obstacles and other aircraft,’ A³ chief executive Rodin Lyasoff wrote on the Vahana website.
‘Designed to carry a single passenger or cargo, we’re aiming to make it the first certified passenger aircraft without a pilot.’
The conceptual renders suggest that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors, reports CNN Money.
And there is space for one passenger, who will sit under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor.
The team at Vahana aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model for sale on the market by 2020.
Airbus noted last year that one of Vahana's first projects will be working with Uber to create a new business model for helicopter operators.
The French firm first announced plans for its flying taxis in August, which they said will be CityAirbus and passengers will be able summon these vehicles with their smartphone.
Airbus said that the biggest challenge in creating the CityAirbus taxi, will be making it fly autonomously.
The taxi will first be operated by a pilot, but will become self-driving once national regulations allow it.

MEET VAHANA  
Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.
The first conceptual renders have been revealed showing a sleek self-flying aircraft with room for one passenger who sits under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor.
Its also believed that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors.
The team at Vahana aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model on the market for sale by 2020.

'Many of the technologies needed, such as batteries, motors and avionics are most of the way there,' Rodin Lyasoff, the Airbus executive in charge of the project, said.
This is just starting to be introduced in cars, but no examples of it for aircraft currently exist.


Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley. There is space for one passenger, who will sit under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor

AIRBUS' PROJECT CITYAIRBUS: SELF-FLYING TAXIS THAT ARE SUMMONED LIKE UBERS
Airbus is designing a fleet of self-flying taxis called CityAirbus.
The taxis will first be operated by a pilot, but will fly themselves once national regulations allow it.
As well as flying taxis, Airbus is also creating an electric, autonomous helicopter in a project called Project Vahana.
The idea is that the helicopter can be used for both commercial and personal use.
In February, Airbus also announced a new project called 'Skyways' in which they are creating a parcel-delivery system above the University of Singapore campus.
Airbus hopes to conduct its first flight tests on the University of Singapore campus by 2017.

'That's one of the bigger challenges we aim to resolve as early as possible,' said Lyasoff.
The company thinks one way it could work would be for group vehicles, similar to car-sharing.
'We believe that global demand for this category of aircraft can support fleets of millions of vehicles worldwide,' Lyasoff said.
'In as little as ten years, we could have products on the market that revolutionise urban travel for millions of people.'

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The conceptual renders suggest that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors

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The team at Vahana aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model for sale on the market by 2020. Airbus noted last year that one of Vahana's first projects will be working with Uber to create a new business model for helicopter operators

Officially underway since February, the project’s team of internal and external developers and partners have agreed on a vehicle design and is beginning to build and test vehicle subsystems.

As well as flying taxis, Airbus is also creating an electric, autonomous helicopter in a plan called Project Vahana.

The idea is that the helicopter can be used for both commercial and personal use.

Airbus hopes to conduct its first flight tests on the University of Singapore campus by 2017.

Rodin Lyasoff, Airbus' lead engineer on Project Vahana, said: 'Many of the technologies needed, such as batteries, motors and avionics are most of the way there.'

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Traffic during rush-hour can be a nightmare for commuters today, and with 60 per cent of the world's population expected to live in cities by 2030, the problem is only going to grow. The French firm first announced plans for its flying taxis in August, which they said will be CityAirbus and passengers will be able summon these vehicles with their smartphone

While it might currently seem like something out of a science fiction film, Airbus CEO, Tom Enders, said: 'It's not crazy to imagine that one day our big cities will have flying cars making their way along roads in the sky.

'In a not too distant future, we'll use our smartphones to book a fully automated flying taxi that will land outside our front door – without any pilot.'

In February, Airbus also announced a new project called 'Skyways' in which they are creating a drone parcel-delivery system above the University of Singapore campus. 

The team hopes by demonstrating the safe operation of Skyways, this could help shape the regulatory framework for unmanned aircraft system operations, and potentially increase acceptance for passenger flight testing.

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In February, Airbus also announced a new project called 'Skyways' in which they are creating a parcel-delivery system above the University of Singapore campus. As well as flying taxis, Airbus is also creating an electric, autonomous helicopter in a plan called Project Vahana. The idea is that the helicopter can be used for both commercial and personal use

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Bangkok in Thailand is one of many cities which is notorious for huge traffic jams and delays getting from one place to another. However, by 2030, the population of Bangkok is set to hit 11.5 million which will further increase congestion. Airbus hopes to conduct its first flight tests on the University of Singapore campus by 2017

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The idea of flying taxis brings to mind, The Jetsons, who live in a futuristic utopia in the year 2062, filled with elaborate robotic contraptions, aliens, holograms, and whimsical inventions like their flying car (pictured)

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Carlo Ratti's mile-high park in the sky would be world's tallest building

If Carlo Ratti's newly-announced observation tower comes to fruition (and it's a big "if"), it will be as much a sight to behold as the views it provides. The proposed structure is a mile high, which would make it not only the tallest observation tower in the world, but also the world's tallest building by some distance.

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Aptly named, The Mile would reach 1,609 m (5,279 ft) into the sky, or one mile exactly. To put that into perspective, the world's current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, is just over half that height, at 830 m (2,723 ft). Even the Jeddah Tower, which is under construction and due to be completed in 2018, will only stretch to 1,000 m (3,281 ft), making it the world's first kilometer-high building.

Consequently, it is only reasonable to view The Mile with a degree of skepticism. Even if it's a legitimate proposal, so many things can derail projects of such cinematic ambition that they can easily end up on the cutting room floor. But a legitimate proposal is exactly what Carlo Ratti Associati assures Gizmag this is. "The Mile is a real project, with a client, although it is only in the first phase now," we are told.

Developed in partnership with German engineering firm Schlaich Bergermann und Partner and British digital design studio Atmos, The Mile will be a vertical park and publicly accessible observation deck. Visitors will ascend to the top in "sculptural capsules" that orbit the shaft of the tower. Once there, there will be a viewing deck, a "sky walkway" and a restaurant.

The capsules will be able to host meetings, dinners and concerts, and even, we are told, be home to pools. Visitors will be able to digitally interact with the surrounding views via augmented reality screens and experience the panorama in a variety of different ways.

At 20-m (66-ft) wide, the tower shaft will have a height-to-width aspect ratio of around 80:1, considerably larger than that of the British Airways i360 in Brighton, UK, which is currently recognized as the world's most slender tower. An engineering study is said to have been carried out to develop a means of achieving this, with the structure to be kept in compression and secured using a net of pre-stressed cables.

"The structural concept for The Mile is technically feasible because of its consequent and uncompromised lightweight approach," said associate and team leader at Schlaich Bergermann und Partner Boris Reyher. "The architectural form and the spatial equilibrium of forces become one and the same thing."

In addition, it is envisaged that the tower will be covered by plants and greenery from bottom to top, providing a habitat for animals. Carlo Ratti likens the planned result to taking New York's Central Park, standing it on its end, rolling it up and then twisting it.

The client for whom the project is being developed, a planned location and any construction dates remain undisclosed. More information will no doubt be forthcoming when the project is presented at the MIPIM property show on March 16, though, at which point we may get a better idea of its feasibility.

Source: Carlo Ratti AssociatiTweet

Lockheed Martin: Compact Fusion Research & Development

South Korea's Insane Plan To Build A $290 Billion Resort To Rival Macau

South Korean media has been abuzz for the last few weeks with the tales of 8City, a proposed $290 billion leisure and gaming destination.

AFP reports that the building is planned for Yongyu-Muui island near the nation's main Incheon international airport, and is being funded by luxury hotel operator Kempinski, South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air and Daewoo Engineering and Construction.

The first photos of the project appeared recently:

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The Internet Changes Wednesday, But Most People Won’t Notice

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With IP addresses now depleted, the Internet Society is leading the launch of IPv6 to allow the web to continue growing.

Without adopting IPv6, people surfing the web will have to go through a transitional gateway before entering a non-updated site using IPv4, making the experience slower. On launch day Wednesday, website owners are encouraged to permanently enable IPv6 — the next generation of Internet protocol.

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Forget touch screens ... Touch everything! Disney (the masters of bringing objects to life) unveils new technology that can turn ANYTHING into a button

• Any material - from bedknobs to broomsticks, and even water - can be become gesture-sensitive
• Technology is similar to smartphone screens - but can create 3D 'map' of touch inputs
• Sofas could become TV remotes, clothes could become mp3 controllers, doors could be 'password-protected' by gesture

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Google Gets Transparent With Glass, Its Augmented Reality Project

Larry Page and Sergey Brin have long had the dream of a hands-free, mobile Google, where search was a seamless process as you moved around the world. As the years progressed the vision did, too, expanding beyond search to persistent connections with the people in your lives.

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Astronomers: Billions of 'super-Earths' in habitable zone of red dwarf stars

An artist's rendering of sunset on Gliese 667 Cc, a previously-discovered super-Earth.

If you're trying to count how many planets could be candidates for harboring life in our galaxy, this might blow your mind: Scientists now say there could be billions of them.

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2057: The City of the Future

What would you see and experience if the clocks rolled forward 50 years? In a unique blend of drama and science, this three-part series shows you the world of tomorrow. Will we have flying cars? Will advances in medicine help us stay young forever? What about “printing” custom-made vital organs? What will our cities look like? What will tomorrow’s wars be about? Will we have robots helping around the house? Will solar power be the new oil?

Supported by the world’s leading scientists and research institutes, we embark on a quest to answer some of society’s most fundamental questions and reveal the dramas of tomorrow’s world along the way. State-of-the-art computer graphics in combination with a dynamic story line will create a world usually only seen in feature films, but with the accuracy and relevance of a documentary. This series is all about opening the window of our future based on science fact, not science fiction.
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Toshiba to ship glasses-free 3D TV to U.S. in early 2012

Toshiba has confirmed to CNET that it plans to make a glasses-free 3D TV available to buyers in the U.S. sometime during the first quarter of 2012.

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Babylon A.D.

In the darkly futuristic world of Babylon A.D., the rules are simple: kill or be killed. Hard-hitting action superstar Vin Diesel stars as Toorop, a ruthless mercenary hired to smuggle a mysterious young woman from the post-apocalyptic confines of Eastern Europe to the glittering megalopolis of New York City.
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“Painless” Plasma Brush Is Becoming Realistic In Dentistry

“Painless ” Plasma Brush Is Becoming Realistic In Dentistry, MU Engineers Say from
 MU News Bureau on Vimeo.

University of Missouri (MU) engineers and their research collaborators at Nanova, Inc. are one step closer to a painless way to replace fillings. After favorable results in the lab , human clinical trials are underway on the “plasma brush.”

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Could hackers develop a 'computer virus' to infect the human mind?

• Synthetic biology is 'out-accelerating evolution' - expert
• Bio-crime today is 'like computer crime in the Eighties'
• Viruses could be used to influence behaviour - and we may have to 'learn how to counterattack'
• 'One of the most powerful technologies in the world'

Californian biologist Andrew Hessel says, 'Cells are living computers and DNA is a programming language,' but warns that this could lead to viruses and bacteria used to 'hack' human minds

The field of 'synthetic biology' is in its infancy. We can 'tweak' the genetics of life forms - but billionaire entrepreneur Craig Venter only created 'artificial life' for the first time last year, christening his life form 'Synthia'.

But experts working within the field believe that our expertise is out-accelerating natural evolution by a factor of millions of years - and some warn that synthetic biology could spin out of control.

It could lead, says Andrew Hessel of Singularity University, on Nasa's research campus, to a world where hackers could engineer viruses or bacteria to control human minds.

Hessel believes that genetic engineering is the next frontier of computing. 

'This is one of the most powerful technologies in the world,' says Hessel 'Synthetic biology - the writing of life.'

'I advocate that cells are living computers and DNA is a programming language.'

'I want to see life programmed and used to solve global challenges so that humanity can achieve a sustainable relationship within the biosphere,' he says.It's growing fast. It will grow faster than computer technologies.'

He predicts a world where we can 'print' DNA, and even 'decode' it. But he warned, in a speech at technology conference TXM, that viruses and bacteria send chemicals into human brains - and could be used to influence, or even 'control' their host.

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Apple Reveals New Cloud Service Called iCloud

Apple has announced its upcoming software, but what really got our attention is its cloud service, appropriately called iCloud. The service is speculated to become the replacement of Apple’s MobileMe, revamping it with upgrades to improve performance and stability, as well as added services like calendar and e-mail syncing.

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What You Can Do With A 128 GB SD Memory Card

Lexar today announced the first 128 GB SDXC memory card we are aware of. It is targeted at photo enthusiasts, thanks to a 133x read speed (about 20 MB/s), but the size is beyond what even photographers really need. What could you store in 128 GB?
 

Lexar 128 GB SDXC Flash memory card

I still remember the good old days, when we stored digital images on floppy disks and we had to carry a pack of 10 or 20 disks with us even on just daily vacation trips. Back then, my beloved Sony Mavica FD95 stored 3 1.6MP images on one 1.44 MB disk. This new 128 GB card could store almost 553,000 pictures on a device that is a fraction of the size of that old floppy. Mind boggling.

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Gadgets You Should Get Rid Of (or Not)

The common rap against technology is that it leads to an accumulation of devices. But the nature of technology is changing. Fewer products are doing more tasks — all accomplished by countless lines of massless software code.
And so we no longer need to accumulate products. If anything, we can cut down. The question is, Which can be replaced and which are fine, or even preferable, to keep? It is plain as day that paper maps and Rolodexes have given way to their digital counterparts. But what else can you get rid of? Here is a list of common consumer technologies and products and a somewhat opinionated judgment on whether to keep or pitch it.
DESKTOP COMPUTER Lose it. You may have one now, but are you really going to replace that deskbound PC when it becomes out of date? Assuming you are not a hardcore gamer or a video editor, laptops have all the necessary computing power the average user needs. If you want to replicate that desktop experience, you can always connect your laptop to a larger display and keyboard.
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET AT HOME Keep it. With the advent of devices like the MiFi, which converts a 3G mobile signal into a Wi-Fi cloud for multiple devices to share, you might be thinking about giving your Internet service provider the boot and using your cellphone as your Internet connection, even when at home. That would work — provided that you get a strong data signal where you live; that you never intend to stream video from Netflix, YouTube or Hulu; and that you have an unlimited data plan from your wireless provider. Given all these caveats, it probably makes more sense to stick with your I.S.P.
CABLE TV Depends. While you may and should hold on to a good broadband connection at home, it is debatable whether you need to pay for cable TV. Sports fans probably will want to keep it, as many leagues restrict online content, but casual viewers who mainly want some shows and movies to watch could get by with a good Internet connection and some low-cost subscriptions to services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video.
POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA Lose it. Yes, a dedicated camera will probably take a better picture than the small lens and image sensor of a smartphone, but it will not be that much better. And a point-and-shoot has limitations of its own. It is hard to share photos until you have transferred them to your computer, and there are no apps for cameras, as there are for smartphones, that allow you to quickly apply cool filters and treatments to the shots you took. Perhaps most important, a camera may or may not be close by when a photo-worthy moment arises, but it’s very likely that your phone will.
CAMCORDER Lose it. Camcorders get squeezed at both ends of the video spectrum. On the low end, smartphones can capture video, and while it may not be Imax quality, many people do not care. At the high end, new digital S.L.R. cameras (like Canon’s EOS Rebel T1i, which costs around $750 with a lens) can shoot full-HD video while taking advantage of all the interchangeable lenses that were created for still photography. That camcorder you have now is probably the last one you will own.
USB THUMB DRIVE Lose it. File sharing does not require hardware anymore. In almost any case you can think of, you can move files around digitally via the Internet. That could mean signing up for a service like Dropbox, which creates a private, shareable hard drive in the cloud, or by simply e-mailing yourself attachments and storing them in the drafts folder of Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. A USB drive is just something to misplace or break.
DIGITAL MUSIC PLAYER Lose it (probably). Do you have a smartphone? Then you have a music player. Why load yourself down with an extra gadget? Apple popularized the music player with its iPod, but when was the last time you saw that iconic white box with the dial on the front? Music is data, and many multifunction devices can handle it along with many other kinds of data (like video, e-mail and apps). The one exception may be if you enjoy music while exercising. In that case, a tiny player like the $49 iPod Shuffle might be a better accessory than a larger, heavier smartphone.
ALARM CLOCK Keep it. Smartphones can be terrific alarm clocks. They can ramp up the volume gradually, display weather information and awaken you to your favorite song. And when on the road, they are still light-years ahead of the incomprehensible alarm clocks in hotel rooms. But a recent daylight time glitch in iPhones that fouled up the clock could give some early risers pause. Furthermore, setting and resetting smartphone alarms may require a dive into one submenu too many; turning a little knob on the back of a clock and flipping a switch is still simplicity itself.
GPS UNIT Lose it. The least expensive GPS units cost around $80. But your smartphone can do the same thing, if not more, for half that price, or even free. Android smartphones already have Google’s turn-by-turn navigation app built in. And earlier this month, Google announced that the company would be including live and historical traffic data in route planning, so you hopefully get to where you are going faster.
If you have an iPhone, you have several options for GPS apps, including Navigon’s MobileNavigator (which starts at $30) and ALK’s CoPilot Live ($20). Renting a car? Decline the optional GPS; if you have a smartphone, you already have one with you.
BOOKS Keep them (with one exception). Yes, e-readers are amazing, and yes, they will probably become a more dominant reading platform over time, but consider this about a book: It has a terrific, high-resolution display. It is pretty durable; you could get it a little wet and all would not be lost. It has tremendous battery life. It is often inexpensive enough that, if you misplaced it, you would not be too upset. You can even borrow them free at sites called libraries.
But there is one area where printed matter is going to give way to digital content: cookbooks. Martha Stewart Makes Cookies a $5 app for the iPad, is the wave of the future. Every recipe has a photo of the dish (something far too expensive for many printed cookbooks).
Complicated procedures can be explained by an embedded video. When something needs to be timed, there’s a digital timer built right into the recipe. You can e-mail yourself the ingredients list to take to the grocery store. The app does what cookbooks cannot, providing a better version of everything that came before it.
Now all Martha has to do is make a decorative splashguard for a tablet and you will be all set.
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World in 2000 as Predicted in Illustrations by French artist Villemard in 1910

Illustrations by French artist Villemard in 1910 of how he imagined the future to be in the year 2000.

 

In the 21st century, in order to control traffic jams in the air,
there will be more and more flying policemen.

 

Firemen will be equipped with “bat wings” to be able to easily access top floors and roofs.

 

Just one for the road…

 

Wars will be fought by “combat cars”.

 

Schools will be equipped with audio books.

 

Horses will be so rare that people will pay to see them.

 

You’ll be able to send mail just by dictating it into loudspeaker.

 

Heating with Radium.

 

Building sites will be equipped with automatic devices and machines.

 

Makeup will be applied just by pressing few buttons.

 

Hair salon.

 

Electric train from Paris to Beijing.

 

Rescue plane.

 

Tailor.

 

Airship. Literally.

 

Motorized roller skates.

 

Video-telegraph.

 

Police will use armored bicycles (motorcycles?) to chase down criminals.

 

Listening to an audio-newspaper.

 

Spy helicopters.

 

The avenue of the Opera, Paris. Year 2000.

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Our Sun is on a Collision Course with a Red Dwarf

 

Photo: NASA

 

 Extimundi.com states that our sun is on a collision course with a Red Dwarf labeled Gliese 710, traveling at nearly 50 times the speed of sound! Fortunately, Earth inhabitants won’t likely have to worry about it for at least the next million years since it would take about that long to get a half a light year away from us. Perhaps in the future of our species some highly evolved Tom Cruise type will somehow save the day and get the girl just in time. More than likely, by the time the Red Dwarf is any real threat we will all have long ago been doused in liquid nitrogen and smashed by sound waves.
Gleise 710 isn't the only star headed our way either. In fact, there are at least 8 other stars moving towards our solar system. Sure, most are only expected to come a little closer than the 4.3 light years away our current neighbor, Proxima Centauri waits; but there is always the possibility that these stars have planets orbiting them. Further, these planets may even have life on them! So perhaps these otherworldly stars aren't on a collision course with us, but rather we are on a collision course with them! It is even a possibility that on one of these planets right now, some alien science geek is writing an article about a star named "Sol" and its expected arrival in the future! A possibility that may sound way more like a sci-fi plot than an actual hypothesis, but as scientist and writer Isaac Asimov once wrote, "Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today — but the core of science fiction, its essence, the concept around which it revolves, has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all."
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The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence

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Light Touch interactive projector brings'Minority Report' user interface to life

 

(Credit: Light Blue Optics)

Las Vegas -- If you've ever watched the motion user interface scene from "Minority Report" and thought to yourself, "I WANT THAT," then check out Light Touch from Light Blue Optics, an interactive projector with a surprisingly accurate touch response.
At its core, the Light Touch is a simple handheld computer running Windows CE, but it uses holographic laser tracking to project a 10.1-inch virtual touch screen onto any flat surface. From there, you can control everything from scrolling through photos to selecting MP3s and dragging folders around the desktop. The laser also does double-duty by ensuring that the image stays in constant focus even across long distances.
We demoed the unit at the Light Blue Optics booth at CES 2010, and came away surprised at the accuracy of the laser. The projection only lights up to 15 lumens, which seemed dim compared to normal fluorescent viewing, and we're skeptical about its outdoor performance; however, we left with a skip in our step knowing that "Minority Report" might become a reality sooner than later.
Want your own demo? Check out the Light Blue Optics Web site for a video of the Light Touch in action.

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