Planning a trip to The Sandpit in the near future? Soon you can take flight and soar around in your very own hover-taxi.
The EHang 184 autonomous aerial vehicle is displayed at the World Government Summit 2017 ©STRINGER / AFP
Popular 80's film, 'Back to the Future Part II' made some astonishing predictions for what the year 2015 might look like. It envisions citizens of the world zipping about on personal hoverboards. Alas, it's 2017 and they don't exist yet but don't be dismayed, hope is hovering above the horizon.
In exciting news, Dubai has tested a Chinese prototype of a self-driving hover-taxi, with the aim of introducing the aerial vehicle in the emirate by July. The test of the one-man electric vehicle comes as the city-state in the United Arab Emirates seeks to ensure a quarter of its means of transport are self-driving by 2030.
Home to Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, Dubai is a leading tourist destination in the Gulf, attracting a record 14.9 million visitors in 2016. This state of the art service will not only help reduce traffic congestion but will also be a great way to showcase Dubai's skyline and architectural delights.
The single person carrier EHang 184 can travel on a programmed course at 100 kilometres an hour at an altitude of 300 metres. A passenger simply needs to select a destination for the autonomous taxi to take off, fly the route and touchdown in the chosen spot monitored by a ground control centre. Test flights in the Dubai skies have already been made and we are all sitting on the edge of their seats.
If everything pans out well, maybe Singapore could get some and we can all zip around in Jetsons-like hovercrafts. Snaking traffic jams would be a thing of the past!