Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is combining two key concepts seen as the future of transport - the self-driving car and the flying car - to create one super-vehicle it hopes will catch on as a viable option.
Named Pop.Up, the vehicle, which is still in a conceptual phase, was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show this week.
The system relies on a cockpit-like capsule that can drive on the road and fly in the air in equal measure. It's controlled by an app on the user's smartphone that allows them to select the flying function when traffic gets heavy.
The drone component of the Pop.Up vehicle - which is a module that includes eight counter-rotating rotors - will then fly to the user's car and pick up the cockpit component, leaving the chassis grounded.
A press release from Airbus, which came up with the concept in collaboration with ItalDesign, says the system will allow users to plan their journeys based on what's best for their given surroundings.
"The system automatically suggests the best transport solution - according to user knowledge, timing, traffic congestion, costs, ridesharing demands - joining either the air or ground module or other means of transportation to the passenger capsule, and following passengers' preferences and needs."
The company also revealed that when it was not being used, the Pop.Up vehicle would then automatically take itself away for recharging.
Newshub.
