A real mock-up of "Air Taxi" designed by Uber in collaboration with Bell Helicopter will be unveiled at CES 2018

We will introduce the real size large mock-up (model) of the aircraft that leads to "flying taxi" which may be realized in the near future,UberAnd helicopter majorBell HelicopterJointly developed and presented at the venue of CES 2018.

Uber and Bell Helicopter show off passenger drone concept at CES 2018
http://mashable.com/2018/01/10/bell-helicopter-passenger-drone/

Hate sitting in traffic? I took a virtual ride in this air Taxi to see the future of urban mobility - GeekWire
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/hate-sitting-seattle-traffic-took-virtual-ride-air-taxi-see-future-urban-mobility/

The published mockup is kore. Despite the mockup of the air taxi assuming flying, propellers etc are not equipped and it seems that it is also a model for visitors to take a simulated experience of air taxi by shaping the interior of the aircraft to the last. It is the first time that a helicopter related exhibition will be held at the CES venue.


A four-seat seat is equipped in the aircraft, and if you get in, you can taste the real atmosphere.


The cockpit is shaped like that and it seems to actually be able to fly by just adding a little hand. Although the control stick is equipped between the front row seats, in the future it is supposed to be used as a taxi that fly with passengers on fully autopilot.


The VR headset "HTC Vive" is prepared for each seat, and visitors can actually sit on the seat and simulate the flight of the air taxi. Three situations such as "moving to the golf course" and "moving in town for the meeting" can be experienced with HTC Vive. In addition to the landscape in flight, let us display the news on the control panel and read , You can experience a demonstration of going out on the incoming call and talking. And finally when we arrive at the destination, we hear that you can experience the benefits of Air Taxi, "I was able to reduce travel time by 45 minutes than car."


You can also see images of the aircraft on the Bell Helicopter website.

Bell Air Taxi Concept Experience at CES 2018
http://www.bellhelicopter.com/company/innovation/ces-2018


Even though Bell made something, an air taxi shaped somehow like a helicopter. It is not yet clear what kind of propeller will be installed in this aircraft, but it is not a fixed multi-cotter like a drone that is on the market, or it's like a "V-22 Osprey"Tilt rotorIt is regarded as being a type.


The left and right sides of the aircraft are open type with a sliding door and it seems easy to get on and off.


The inside of the cabin is as wide as a four-seater SUV.


As mentioned above, the control stick is placed in the front seat. This takes into account the introduction roadmap for air taxi, first appeared in the air taxi pilot to steer, and then things that become a thing that incorporates the flow taxi service, called by the autopilot of AI.


It is considered to display various kinds of information on the console spreading in front of the front seat. In addition to the information necessary for pilot's maneuvering, it seems that usage such as display of news and mails, telephone, and in-flight entertainment is considered as a use mainly in passenger.


It seems that it will be possible to display information using the front screen in such a way that autopilot is realized.


The interesting part of this mockup is that it is made from the interior first to make it unlike the mockup of the car. It seems that it is aimed at conveying the image and the merit of the air taxi to the user, so that it aims to uncover the needs and also to convey a clear image to the development side.


In CES2018, the mechanism that actually fly, the control system, the spec of the aircraft etc are not announced. This is similarly thought "出 し し」 」」 」」 」バル バル エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア エア など など など など など など など など など など など など など など など など which is said to be developing airframes similar to air taxis, And that. It is said that driving a propeller with a motor equipped with a large battery and a small generator without concentration of a turbojet engine like a general helicopter is dense.

However, to realize an air taxi, it is necessary to clear the issues of "safety" and "noise". Regarding safety, like a conventional aircraft, it seems to be a policy to increase reliability by making the system redundant, but it seems that the "noise" problem is still underway. Unlike a helicopter arriving and departing from a heliport, quietness is especially important in the case of an air taxi that frequently takes off and landing in the city. Moreover, when the air taxi fly around the sky now as the car of Uber runs in the city, the problem of noise should definitely be a big problem. Bell seems to be strongly conscious about that, and it is said that development is underway for quietization.