The classic question, “what superpowers would you want to have?” begs the classic options — invisibility, ability to read minds or super speed.
If I were to choose, there was never really a choice. I would want super speed in a heartbeat. If there wasn’t that option, I would create it and choose it myself.
In fact, if I could enter wherever I want to like the Goblin, even better.
Imagine being able to wake up an hour later — the time it takes to travel to work, school, and back home. Imagine never being late. Imagine the money you save on transport.
With the upcoming air taxi trials in Singapore, it’s about to be pretty close to the Utopian dream.
No, this isn’t #fakenews though it sounds like one.
Dubbed the Volocopter, these air taxis vaguely remind us of Jurassic Park‘s velociraptors for its speed. But as great as speed is, most of us probably care more about the cost and if we look sophisticated enough in it.
These taxis take atas to a whole new level if you’re not in the mood for a cab. However, like an atas cab (if there is one), it can only sit two people. The price for a ride?
Unclear; but it will drop to the price of our Grab rides, hopefully in five to ten years.
For those who are super rich and want to own a makeshift helicopter that is actually a drone, you can’t. The German company aims to make Volocopter a third Grab (the second is GoJek), not a private service.
Where does it take you, then?
The exact locations for these taxis are sadly unknown, as well as the distance of each rides. Sure, it can fly up to 30km. But is it able to fly from Hougang to Kovan — even if it’s pointless?
Then again, Hougang or Kovan isn’t on the southen part of Singapore, so anyways.
As lazy as we are, the rides are unfortunately available for when it makes sense to use an air taxi — to a rational person, not a lazy one.
As of now though, the Volocopter is out on a trial during the second half of the year to make sure we don’t die in it. It will fly over the waters and land on the southern part of Singapore, so expect a spectacle there and get your cameras ready.
For those who don’t mind risking your lives for this advancement, public trials will be held at the end of the year — if everything goes well.
If you’re already staring dreamily far into the future, then you’d probably wonder how the drone-helicopter will operate.
Alas, technology is not so far advanced as to allow the Volocopter to operate on its own. Hence, either the pilot will operate it or it will be controlled from the ground.
The second method is possibly impossible given our pronounced lack of omnipresence, so the first one may be more plausible. That also means that the taxi will carry only one passenger.
Albeit a little inconvenient, perhaps the drone will fly a little faster and higher, right?
The useful thing about the Volocopter is that it can help not only our everyday transport. With time, the company even wishes to extend its service to tourism and industrial activities.
We can finally take shots above a night-lit Gardens by the Bay, or the makeshift castle at Sentosa. All’s good when we have photos to post on Instagram — so Singaporeans may take this new venture well after all.