We’ve been focused on flying cars since the Jetsons showed us the possibilities. With all the distractions of the last several months, it is easy to lose sight of the progress made on several innovation fronts. The flying car is no exception, as describes in this recent Article by Charlie Osborne. The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) industry is plowing ahead. A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can hover, take off, and land vertically. Japan plans on sending these flying cars into the skies in three years. Per the article, Japan-based SkyDrive has developed a two-seater eVTOL vehicle currently at the testing stage. In addition to Japan, Uber, Boeing, Airbus, AeroMobil, and others are exploring the VTOL space. Flying taxis is one area of focus. A quote from SkyDrive captures it well:
Mobility Ecosystem
Reimagining Our Driverless Future
In segment two of my interview with Chunka Mui, we picked up our conversation with the driverless car scenario. Chunka Mui is the managing director of the Devil’s Advocate Group, a consulting team that helps organizations design and stress test their innovation strategies. Mr. Mui published a popular book titled The New Killer Apps.
Key points of discussion were:
- If we eliminate auto fatalities, what happens to the need for auto insurance?
- How to think about the timing of the autonomous vehicle scenario
- The arms race towards the automotive ecosystem
- Eliminating 90% of human accidents is plausible
- Critical mass not needed to feel the impact of this scenario
- From predicting to rehearsing – a portfolio of options
- Understanding milestones, markers, obstacles and accelerants
- Understanding extreme scenarios
- Understanding the path of science and technology
Here is a six minute animated version of our segment two discussion that picks up where segment one left off:
You can view segment one here.
Download A PDF Version of the Transcript
Reimagining the Future 