Companies Working on Drone “Taxis” to Transport People Around
In the early 2000’s, drones were still primarily military gadgets. Just as model airplanes became popular when the military began using them, model drone kits also gained in popularity around this time. It wasn’t long until hobbyists began racing the drones they had been building. Backyard drone racing became a catalyst for what would soon become a billion dollar industry. In 2020, the global drone market was valued at over $13 billion. The drone racing sector represented $237 million of that total, a number that is expected to triple in the next few years as major sports networks have begun sponsoring and promoting drone racing events.
Another quickly expanding drone market is that of drone transportation. Over the last year, it has been made abundantly clear that drones can safely deliver small packages to customers. Many communities around the world have become reliant on drone deliveries of medications, food, and basic necessities in the wake of the global pandemic, COVID-19. Before air safety organizations like the Federal Aviation Administration began granting permission for drones to be used as delivery vehicles, some companies had taken this concept and expanded it into drones that could deliver people from one point to another. Companies like China’s EHang and Germany’s Volocopter are now in the final stages of changing urban mobility with drones. Designing safe, environmentally friendly eVTOLs (electric Vertical TakeOff Landing), people will soon be able to travel throughout congested cities in a matter of minutes.
The market for drone logistics and transportation alone is expected to reach $29 billion by 2027. Star 8 Green is an innovative technology company looking to change the way people use technology without compromising the environment. Founded by Jacob Maimon out of Australia, Star 8 Green now has offices all over the world. In their Philippines office, Star 8 Green has been exploring how to combine drones and urban mobility to help advance society while protecting the Earth. They have developed heavy-lift commercial drones that can be used in a wide range of applications from parcel delivery to firefighting. At the same time, using the body design of a multi rotor drone, Star 8 Green has come up with a flying car.
Kyxz Mendiola is the head of Star 8 Green’s eVTOL program. The drone he has developed is called an EMAV (Electric Manned Vehicle), something that Star 8 Green sees as key in making passenger eVTOLs a reality, for now. As described on Star 8 Green’s website, “Our first EMAV, the Sports Flyer, is a single-seat flyer that allows 20 minutes of flight time at an altitude of 100 meters and a speed of up to 80 km/h.” Recently, Star 8 Green released a video of Kyxz and fellow Star 8 Green electrical engineer, Jason Mabansay Ampongan, showing off the agility of the Sports Flyer.
In the video Kyxz and Jason each lift off from a large field in what looks like a giant drone. Once airborne, the drones begin to chase after one another, zooming around trees. Following along with the EMAVs are a few drones to document what looks like a typical drone race, only with much larger drones. Star 8 Green’s EMAVs are not intended to be used for racing, the video was made to entertain and show the possibilities of eVTOL mobility. The company went on to say that “Small scale flight offers benefits way beyond our entertainment, though. Benefits like search and rescue through bushland or on the water, being able to get to someone across a river without having to drive miles to the nearest bridge or even rounding up cattle on large farms.” As demands for better delivery and transportation modes arise, the sky is literally the limit for drones.
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