Future transportation technology will be carbon-neutral, autonomous, intelligent, and electrified.
Efficiency will be at the centre of commuter trends and innovations over the next ten years. This refers to accessible and reasonably priced renewable energy options created especially to tackle travel-related pollution and traffic jams. This entails accepting the shared and multimodal options that are emphasised in the developing mobility-as-a-service ecosystem; autonomous vehicles and flying taxis may even be included.
NOTABLE FUTURE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES
- Autonomous Aerial Vehicles (AAVs)
- Delivery Drones
- Driverless Cars
- Flying Hotel Pods
- Flying Taxis
- Hoverbikes
- Hyperloop
- Maglev Trains
- Micromobility
- Self-driving Taxis
- Smart Roads
- Underground Tunnels
The list of technological advancements driving tomorrow is provided below, some of which are purely hypothetical. Others are parked just on the other side of a few regulatory barriers or are in the testing phase. Teslas, ride-hailing apps, and lime-green e-scooters will have to do in the interim.
12 Future Transportation Technologiesi
1. AUTONOMOUS AERIAL VEHICLES (AAVS)
AAVs, or autonomous aerial vehicles, are aircraft that fly themselves and don’t need human assistance. They resemble drones in that they are unmanned aerial vehicles as well, but their purpose is to carry people. The AAV system uses a range of sensors, GPS, and inertial navigation in place of a pilot to control the aircraft and gather data while it is in flight. The majority of models are set up as VTOLs, or vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. Because they are designed with horizontal rotors, similar to a helicopter, they can operate in confined spaces at faster travel times, meaning they can forgo a runway for liftoff.
EHang 216 AAV
With 16 motors powering its eight propellers, this electric, autonomous aircraft can be fully charged in two hours. It uses 4G and 5G networks to transmit its position and status to the platform’s intelligent command and control centre while in flight. The car has a top speed of 80 miles per hour and can transport a maximum payload of 485 pounds for 18 miles.
2. DELIVERY DRONES
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) called delivery drones are made specifically to deliver lightweight packages during last-mile deliveries. These rechargeable flying robots are controlled remotely or operate independently with the aid of artificial intelligence. They use GPS, sensors, and computer vision systems to find their way around and drop off locations.
According to The Verge, the first commercial drone delivery to a residential address in the United States occurred in 2016 and included a frozen Slurpee, coffee, donuts, candy, and a chicken sandwich. Drone delivery services are now widely accessible overseas and are still being used in a few American cities while the Federal Aviation Administration completes regulations requiring drone operators to fly their aircraft outside of their line of sight. Deployment on a large scale could happen as early as next year.
Amazon Prime Air
Amazon Prime Air has been in development since 2013 and promises to deliver up to five pounds of goods in an hour. Just 100 deliveries have been made in two US markets thus far, which is a slow start to the company’s end-of-year target of 10,000 deliveries in 2023.
Zipline’s P1 “Zips”
The world’s largest drone delivery system, Zipline operates primarily outside of the US. In 2016, the self-sufficient logistics enterprise gained recognition for its collaboration with the non-profit organisation Gavi, which aimed to distribute 4,000 blood units and critical medical supplies to isolated areas in Rwanda. These days, Zipline transports a variety of products from Walmart, which has 36 locations spread over seven states. It will soon be providing GNC supplements and Seattleites’ favourite Pagliacci Pizza pies.
3. DRIVERLESS CARS
Autonomously operating vehicles, also known as self-driving cars or driverless cars, function without direct human intervention. Sensors are installed all over the car or truck so that it can “see” its surroundings. Cameras, radar, LiDAR, sonar, ultrasound, GPS, odometry, and inertial measurement units are some of these mapping instruments. Together, they calculate a three-dimensional representation of the environment around the car, integrating opportunities and hazards while travelling and informing the driver of traffic laws.
The Society of Automotive Engineers divides driving automation into six categories: zero is fully manual, and five is fully autonomous. The United States Department of Transportation acknowledges this standard.
Tesla’s Autopilot Feature
Throughout its entire vehicle lineup, Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company provides a semi-autonomous suite of features as standard. Autopilot, which allows for hands-free steering, adaptive cruise, lane-changing assistance, park assist, and emergency braking, is standard on all of its vehicles. Its upgraded autopilot system, dubbed “full self-driving,” adds automatic lane changes, traffic signal and stop sign control, and smart summon, which lets a user call their parked car from a distance. However, it isn’t quite the real thing yet. According to the company, all Tesla vehicles are designed to allow for seamless software updates as technology develops.
4. FLYING HOTELS
Flying hotels are hypothetical aircraft that are intended to stay in flight and accommodate guests for a prolonged period of time. After checking into their assigned pods, visitors have access to the facility’s common areas. Imagine flying hotels as a kind of low-orbit, tourist-friendly space station or cruise ship in the clouds.
Sky Cruise Hotel
The 5,000-passenger Sky Cruise Hotel is an AI-piloted luxury establishment that is intended to stay in the air and only dock to receive or drop off visitors. Inspired by a model made by 3D artist Alexander Tujicov, engineer Hashem Al-Ghaili envisioned a theoretical facility that would run on 20 nuclear fusion engines for hospitality.
Driftscape
The 200 square foot glass pod rooms in each of the proposed flying “drone hotels” by Canadian design firm HOK would be able to separate from the central hub and explore different areas. The project was selected as one of the top three finalists for the Radical Innovation Awards, which recognise technological innovations in the travel and hospitality sectors.
5. FLYING TAXIS
Small commercial aircraft known as “flying taxis” are capable of on-demand, regional passenger transportation. These aircraft, also referred to as “air taxis,” were only used for short-distance commutes in order to avoid congested ground traffic. Flying taxis are a great option for all-electric, zero-emission air travel because of their size and use case; the first generation of battery-powered aircraft is likely to be used for cargo, airport transit, and pilot training.
Joby Aviation’s Air Taxi
This electric flying commuter has a 150-mile range, a top speed of 200 miles per hour, and six propellers. With support from Toyota, JetBlue, and Intel, the California-based aviation company plans to begin commercial flying taxi operations by 2024, having acquired Uber’s flying taxi division in 2020.
6. HOVERBIKES
Bikes that can fly are called hoverbikes or hovercycles. They have a more motorcycle-like appearance, but instead of wheels, they have a set of propellers. Smaller propellers serve as stabilisers and the primary propellers produce lift. Hoverbikes are technically classified as vertical take-off and landing, or VTOL, aircraft.
Aerwins’ XTURISMO Hoverbike
The six propellers on this hoverbike are powered by an internal combustion engine and four electric motors combined in a hybrid propulsion system. According to Aerwins, the XTURISMO Hoverbike has a maximum speed of roughly 60 mph and a 30-to 40-minute flight duration.
Hoversurf’s Scorpion-3
What you get when you combine a quadcopter with a carbon fibre frame and a motorcycle is the Scorpion-3. This vehicle, manufactured by the Russian company Hoversurf, can reach a maximum speed of forty-three miles per hour and, depending on the payload, can fly for fifteen to forty minutes. You can have it all for $150,000.
7. HYPERLOOP
The hyperloop is a high-speed, ground-level transportation system that can carry people or cargo through a vacuum tunnel at jet-like speeds using electromagnetic propulsion and magnetic levitation. The pressurised coach pods, terminals, and a sealed, low-pressure tube comprise the three primary parts of the futuristic train. Elon Musk, the founder of Space-X and Tesla, proposed the hyperloop in a white paper. It was intended to link large cities and reach speeds of up to 760 miles per hour.
Virgin’s Hyperloop One
The venture capital firm Hyperloop One successfully launched two people on the first-ever manned pneumatic maglev train ride on November 8, 2020. It was held on the 1,640-foot DevLoop test track owned by the company in Las Vegas, Nevada, and reached top speeds of 107 miles per hour.
8. MAGLEV TRAINS
A combination of the words “magnetic” and “levitation,” Maglev trains use magnetism to deliver a fast, frictionless rail service. To repel the train up and off the ground, effectively creating an air cushion over which it glides, they use two sets of superconducting electromagnetic systems that operate in tandem. The other set is used to accelerate forward. They differ from bullet trains, which travel at an average speed of about 200 miles per hour, in that they have no wheels and can travel at high speeds (up to 300 miles per hour). There are currently only six in service, but these low-cost, silent, all-electric trains are thought to be the most effective mode of ground transport and could eventually challenge air travel.
Shanghai Transrapid
As of right now, this 2004 public launch of the maglev line makes it the fastest magnetic railway service available. Reaching its international airport from the outskirts of the eighth-largest city in the world by area, it has a top speed of 270 miles per hour.
Linimo
Built in 2005, the only known maglev train in Japan made its debut as the world’s first commercial urban maglev train to run without a driver. The electrified public transport system covers a 5.5-mile track and can reach nine stations at a top speed of 62 miles per hour.
9. MICROMOBILITY
Micromobility is the term for small-scale transportation, which usually refers to single-person, lightweight, low-speed vehicles that can only go 30 miles per hour. They are designed for quick trips and can be fully or partially motorised. These are rechargable, easily obtainable options for citywide ridesharing programmes in the context of future transportation; some of these programmes already exist, such as e-scooters and e-bikes.
Nimbus One Microcar
The Nimbus One is a fully enclosed, three-wheeled “autocycle” that is about one-quarter the size of a small car. The company claims that the concept was to combine the safety and comfort of a car with the agile convenience of a motorbike. When they launch in 2024, you can anticipate seeing these microcars later this year.
Revel’s E-mopeds
Licenced drivers in Europe can use their cellphones to rent an electric moped. Helmets included, Revel, an electric mobility company, offers a fleet of baby-blue, dockless, 100% electric cars that can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
10. ROBOTAXIS
Robotaxis are self-sufficient, autonomous vehicles run by ride-sharing services. These autonomous ride-hailing services can operate on-demand, around-the-clock, without requiring human input. When a rider presses “start ride,” which is transmitted via Bluetooth controls via the rider’s smartphone, the car unlocks. Over the next ten years, autonomous taxi fleets will gradually expand; they are currently in use in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Motional’s Hyundai Ioniq 5
Motional, an autonomous vehicle startup, has already introduced its all-electric robot taxi service in Las Vegas and will shortly expand to Los Angeles. Motional has partnerships with both Lyft and Uber. Before being launched, the company tests its cars over “millions of miles” using over 30 sensors that offer both long-range detection and 360-degree perception.
Waymo One
These autonomous vehicles, which Alphabet is bringing to you, enable driverless ride-hailing services in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. In addition to the data it collects in real time, the Waymo One uses 20 million real-world miles and 20 billion miles of simulated driving to predict driver behaviour based on programming it learned before launch.
11. SMART ROADS
The term “smart roads” refers to any type of digitally improved road system. They are a part of smart cities, which prioritise technology in all aspects of urban planning, development, administration, and public services. In most cases, smart roads incorporate sensors into their infrastructure for a number of uses. They might have electric vehicles travelling at high speeds or weigh-in-motion scales that measure cargo trucks automatically, or they might have solar panels that power streetlights. Smart roads, which are highly integrated communication networks, can help reduce congestion by gathering data on traffic flow and public transit systems.
Electreon’s Wireless Charging Infrastructure
Through a technique known as magnetic resonance induction, electric cars can wirelessly recharge their batteries while they are moving by burying copper coils beneath a roadway. Energy is moved from the coils to a receiver installed on the underside of the electric car during this process. Any type of public road, including bus routes and parking lots, can incorporate Electreon’s smart road technology.
Glowing ‘Smart Highways’ by Studio Roosegaarde
The concept of using solar paint to repaint road surface markings originated with the design lab situated in Iceland. The photovoltaic properties of the paint allowed lane lines and other pavement markers to glow for up to eight hours after sunset, enhancing safety and visibility at night. The paint would charge during the day.
Smart Pavement Sensors
Pathways created by a startup in digital infrastructure Smart-tech networks that can transmit data to electric vehicles, central hubs, and first responders, including weather, traffic patterns, and hazards, are a feature of Integrated Roadways. The system uses fiber-optic cables, sensors, antennas, and edge data services to detect road conditions and vehicle positions in real time. The product is intended to be a “Wi-Fi platform for cars and other future mobility services,” according to the Kansas-based company.
12. UNDERGROUND TUNNELS
Underground tunnels are a repurposed version of an ancient idea. The weatherproof solution, which was initially intended to reduce traffic jams and establish useful urban areas, has made a comeback in the discussion of next-generation transportation technology because the tunnels offer a more economical and environmentally friendly substitute for conventional modes of transportation.
The project has been approved to extend to 65 miles in length, which will include 69 stations and enough 12-passenger vehicles to transport 57,000 commuters per hour. It is on track to connect major hotels, attractions, and airports.
The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Loop
There are currently four stops along the 1.7-mile Las Vegas Convention Centre Loop. According to the company website, attendees of the convention centre can travel across campus in two minutes instead of the usual twenty-five minutes by taking the underground carrier. With its three-passenger vehicles, the LVCC can move 4,400 passengers per hour. In Las Vegas, a road of this type has already been constructed; it’s called the Las Vegas Convention Centre Loop (LVCC). Elon Musk’s company, The Boring Company, is the one behind LVCC.
Importance of Future Transportation Technology
Reducing carbon emissions is now more important than ever. In response, transportation technology has produced more environmentally friendly modes of transportation, such as electric cars and maglev trains, which wean people off of their reliance on fossil fuels and towards renewable energy.
The use of publicly accessible transportation, such as robotaxis, e-bikes, and e-scooters, reduces CO2 emissions by removing more cars from the road. These automobiles reduce the likelihood of car accidents while simultaneously making it simpler for people to navigate urban areas. Cities can now put efficiency and public health first, and advances in transportation technology should lead to even faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly modes of transportation in the future.
