Flying Car News, December 9
Amazon Takes Drone Safety To New Heights!
This week’s top Flying Car News: Amazon patents drones that can self-destruct as a safety strategy, Udacity hosts a flying car panel, the Vahana flying car will get a test before the year is out, and more!
Flying cars will be a significant part of the future of transportation. Recent advancements in drone technology, electric VTOL aircraft, and autonomous systems have paved the way for an aerial transportation revolution. We created the Udacity Flying Car News Series, to ensure you stay up-to-date on all the latest Flying Car and Autonomous Aircraft stories!
Taking Safety To New Heights
Amazon patents a drone that self-destructs in emergencies by using a “fragmentation controller” which slowly dismantles the drone by dropping pieces to the ground as it engages in a controlled crash landing:
“Earlier this week, the company was granted a patent for the “direct fragmentation for unmanned airborne vehicles.” In other words: a drone that takes itself apart midair if something goes wrong.”
The State Of Flying Cars
The instructors of the Udacity Flying Car Nanodegree Program recently discussed the state of the Flying Car industry in a compelling panel:
“The field of flying vehicles has become incredibly hot in Silicon Valley and around the world, and I’m super delighted we could attract two super-stellar professors to teach and build this program with us.” — Sebastian Thrun
Oregon To Host Historic Test
Airbus will test its Vahana flying car in Pendleton, Oregon by the end of 2017:
“Airbus has said it wants to build a fleet of electric, autonomous, multirotor VTOL aircraft that can be used to fly from rooftop to rooftop in dense cities where traffic is often at a standstill.”
Autonomous Space Shuttle
Nasa conducts the first successful test flight of a new-generation, fully-autonomous space shuttle:
“It was a really good day. We had a full flight. We met all our goals. The vehicle landed safely, and there were absolutely no issues.” —Mark Sirangelo, Head of Sierra Nevada Corp’s Space Systems Division
If you’re interested in joining the pioneering generation of engineers who will build the smart transportation systems of the future, explore Udacity’s Flying Car Nanodegree Program today!
And stay tuned for more Flying Car News!
