Flying car' hovers steadily in test flight by Japanese electronics company NEC

Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp. on Monday showed a “flying car,” a large drone-like machine with four propellers that hovered steadily for about a minute.The test flight reaching 3 meters (10 feet) high was held in a gigantic cage, as a safety precaution, at an NEC facility in a Tokyo suburb.

The Japanese Government is behind so-called flying cars, with the goal of having people using them by the 2030s.

A flying car by Japanese startup Cartivator proved unsuccessful after it crashed during a demonstration in 2017, but company bosses say they have since developed their technology so their machines can last longer.

NEC is one of more than 80 companies sponsoring Cartivator's flying car.

The goal is to deliver a seamless transition from driving to flight like the world of “Back to the Future,” although huge hurdles remain such as battery life, the need for regulations and safety concerns.

NEC officials said their flying car was designed for unmanned flights for deliveries but utilized the company’s technology in its other operations such as space travel and cybersecurity.

Similar projects are popping up around the world, such as Uber Air.

The global ridesharing giant's aerial taxi service pilot — which will run in Melbourne as well as the US cities of Dallas and Los Angeles — aims to connect transport hubs like airports to central city sites.

The rideshare company said test flights were due to start from 2020 and plans were for commercial operations to begin from 2023.

News credit :Japan times