Will we be commuting in one of these soon?

[FSogol]

The e-volo Multicopter
"The e-volo multicopter is an innovative, vertically starting, human carrying transportation device that is uncatagorisable to its current flight counterparts.

The e-volos sixteen propellers allow it to take off and land similar to a helicopter. Its massive plus points compared to a helicopter are the simplicity of its engineered construction without complicated mechanics and its redundant engines. Should anything go wrong, e-volo can still safely land even if up to four of its sixteen motors should fail. Flight time can last between ten to thirty minutes, depending on the payload and the capacity of the lithium batteries. With an empty weight at 80 kg (including batteries), e-volo fits into the class of ultralights."

Whole article here and photos here:
http://www.pddnet.com/news-photos-of-the-day-the-e-volo-multicopter-110311/?et_cid=2301638&et_rid=281038805&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pddnet.com%2fnews-photos-of-the-day-the-e-volo-multicopter-110311%2f

[RebelOne]

1. Not in my lifetime. n/t

[WingDinger]

2. As soon as free marketeers give fusion derived power away for free.

[FSogol]

3. Runs on lithium batteries. n/t

[WingDinger]

4. Charged by COAL derived power? The future will be very energy stingy. Soon,.

[WillParkinson]

5. I now want to believe in reincarnation...

Just so I can fly one.

[LongTomH]

6. Another example of a "Legacy Future"

"Legacy Future" is a term that one futurist coined to describe ideas from Sunday Supplements of the 30s through the 50s. The 'personal flying flivver' is one example of these.

Besides the fuel consumption, consider the problem of air traffic control with thousands or millions of these things in the air. In a few decades, we might have a totally automated air traffic control system up to the task; but not today!

[FSogol]

7. That futurism existed into my childhood in the early sixties.

At any rate, it is a better vision of the future than exists now-a-days where every idea is poo-pawed, where we don't fixing the simple crumbling infrastructure, and where no one can think big. Even on a progressive website such as this, people are more interested in returning to the wood age were every one grows their own food than to have an optimistic vision of the future.

[LongTomH]

15. Basically, I agree with you, and with Neil deGrasse Tyson

We Stopped Dreaming, Neil deGrasse Tyson on Real Time with Bill Maher.

However, it is necessary to point out that futurist speculation needs to have some grounding in practicality, that includes economics and feasibility issues like air traffic control.

[Terry in Austin]

22. One person's optimism is another's hell

> people are more interested in returning to the wood age were every one grows their own food than to have an optimistic vision of the future.

At one time in the past, this car-centric consumer mess that passes for society was considered optimistic. The future ain't what it used to be, and not only that, when it gets here, it ain't what we thought it would be.

Such is the myth of progress.

[Scuba]

8. Vid link here..

http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/03/8617095-manned-electric-multi-copter-takes-flight?chromedomain=cosmiclog

[Fumesucker]

9. Multicopters are cool..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6seMLiinWDA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7X0_6o9J10&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZN0PeD4B8c&feature=related

[Warpy]

10. I hope not. Think of drunk texting while flying one of those

Besides, they're the type of thing the wealthy will want to keep for themselves so they can more efficiently look down their noses at all the people whose labor they're ripping off.

[Abin Sur]

11. We may not ever have flying cars like in The Jetsons...

but we do have better communicators than Captain Kirk ever dreamed of.

[Brother Buzz]

12. The nut up the road from me has been working on his 20 mpg flying car for years

The M400X Skycar:

Moller International has developed the first and only feasible, personally affordable, personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle the world has ever seen.

You've always known it was just a matter of time before the world demanded some kind of flying machine which would replace the automobile. Of course, this machine would have to be capable of VTOL, be easy to maintain, cost effective and reliable. Well, we at Moller International believe we have come up with the solution. That solution is the volantor named M400 Skycar.

Let's compare the M400 Skycar with what's available now, the automobile. Take the most technologically advanced automobile, the Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Lamborghini, or the more affordable Acura, Accord, or the like. It seems like all of the manufacturers of these cars are touting the new and greatly improved "aerodynamics" of their cars. Those in the aerospace industry have been dealing with aerodynamics from the start. In the auto industry they boast of aerodynamics, performance tuned wide track suspensions, electronic ignition and fuel injection systems, computer controllers, and the list goes on. What good does all this "advanced engineering" do for you when the speed limit is around 60 MPH and you are stuck on crowded freeways anyway?

Can any automobile give you this scenario? From your garage to your destination, the M400 Skycar can cruise comfortably at 275 MPH (maximum speed of 375 MPH) and achieve up to 20 miles per gallon on clean burning, ethanol fuel. No traffic, no red lights, no speeding tickets. Just quiet direct transportation from point A to point B in a fraction of the time. Three dimensional mobility in place of two dimensional immobility.

No matter how you look at it the automobile is only an interim step on our evolutionary path to independence from gravity. That's all it will ever be.



Moller International's M400 Skycar volantor is the next step.

The FAA doesn't allow him to fly it untethered

[FSogol]

14. Can't fly it untethered? Does he fly in circles over his house or hasn't it gotten to the flying

stage yet?

[Brother Buzz]

16. It just hovers tethered to a construction crane

Not quite an E ticket ride.

The nut hasn't been 'flying' it lately, especially after the SEC busted him for selling unregistered shares of Moller International stock directly to the public.

[FSogol]

19. Man, you have cooler neighbors than me. n/t

[Brother Buzz]

20. Cool would have been if he was allowed to build his proposed science/technology theme park

I'm sure there would have been some cool E-ticket rides.

[Terry in Austin]

21. "No traffic, no red lights, no speeding tickets."

Riiight. As long as there's never more than about five of them out there.

Either he hasn't thought this through, or he's relying on his customers not to!

Gotta say, though, you have some interesting neighbors...

[Brother Buzz]

23. He thought of that and promised, decades ago, a collision avoidance/navigation computer....

At the time, it sounded like, when up and running, the Air Traffic Controllers could kick back and eat Twinkies® and play cards. We're still waiting.

[PoliticAverse]

13. Nah, I think I'll still keep the flying car I was promised... n/t

[johnd83]

17. Flying death trap...

I am a private pilot and engineer. I would never, ever fly that thing. If you lose power it will go out of control immediately and crash to the ground. With airplanes and to a certain extent helicopters you can glide down unpowered. With this type of design it is impossible.

[jdlh8894]

18. A Brick in the air when power goes.

[rug]

24. I've been waiting for flying cars since before color television.

[Liberal In Texas]

25. It's a toy.

Looks to me like it never got out of ground effect. It's like strapping 16 model helicopters together which makes as much sense as Lawnchair Larry with the helium balloons.

Test flight:
http://www.pddnet.com/vdieo-worlds-first-manned-flight-with-an-electric-multicopter-110311/