this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2024
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I didn't t read the article (of course), but I hope flying cars aren't anywhere near to be available to consumers. Many drivers are barely able to drive correctly withouth killing themselves (and/or anybody else) on a 1D path drawn on a 2D surface. IMHO, giving anyone the possibility to "drive" in a 3D space is a recipe for disaster.
The thing is, driving a flying car isn't going to be like driving a ground car. It'll be like flying an autonomous drone, like a DJI drone, which is easy and has lots of safety features. You tell it to take off, and it takes off and hovers. You tell it to go up, and it goes up, and then stays at the height it stopped at. You try to go somewhere you're not allowed, like another "lane", and it will be like hitting an invisible pillow. (This happens with DJI drones at restricted airspace boundaries.) There is an auto-land feature, and an auto "Return To Home" feature. The driver (pilot) doesn't have to balance the vehicle, or deal with complex controls, or compensate for wind, because those are all handled by software that interfaces with the flight controller, GPS, and other hardware. It's similar to using an Xbox controller, and it's way, way easier than autonomous ground cars.
I'm not saying there aren't significant risks, but piloting the vehicle is probably one of the least concerning problems.
I worked at a self driving car startup for three years and we all thought flying cars would be easier.
That's actually an interesting take.