Just like the attention of an individual doesn’t stay put at a particular spot for a long time, same is the case with the Silicon Valley. There has been a lot of hue and cry for the development of self-driving cars but the attention has now moved to an even more intriguing technology which is Flying cars. The idea of flying cars is appealing as it seems like a childhood dream coming true. Leave behind those regrets that we can’t soar in the sky like a bird, technology has even made this possible. The latest entrant to join this craze of flying cars is Toyota. The Japanese automaker shows keen interest by financially backing up a flying car project.
Toyota has announced that it will back up a startup that is currently working on developing a drone-like vehicle. This vehicle is more than a drone but not a proper flying car as it can’t accommodate humans. Cartivator is a startup in which thirty volunteers work with the drone specialist Masafumi Miwa from the Tokushima University. Toyota’s main aim is to prepare this drone on an urgent basis so that it can fly in the 2020 Olympics and also light the Tokyo official games torch.
“SkyDrive” will have the ability to soar 33 feet above the average ground level that too at the speed of 100 km/h.
Technicalities of the flying car project
This drone-like vehicle termed as the “SkyDrive” will have the ability to soar 33 feet above the average ground level that too at the speed of 100 km/h. The model will be 9.5 foot long which will make it the smallest flying vehicle in the world. This is not that big an achievement as there are hardly any flying vehicles in the commercial market currently. But the makers at Cartivator claim that the SkyDrive is different than other drones. This is because it is easy to control along with an intuitive nature. This means that it can be controlled by even a non-pilot and can take off from any ordinary highway.
Apart from the financial backup, Toyota has a team of mechanical engineers to participate in this flying car project. In terms of numbers, Toyota has provided funds to Cartivator worth $353,000. Another major investor in this project is Taizo Sun who is the founder of GungHoOnline Entertainment. There are also a group of crowdfunders who have pledged around $22,000. This may bring the SkyDrive in the commercial market by 2018. If this successfully takes place, only then will the SkyDrive light the Tokyo official games torch.
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