While talk of drones in all shapes and sizes — aircraft capable of tasks like snapping photos from 200 feet above a hazardous situation — has become almost a part of daily life around the world, some companies are already hard at work on the next generation of autonomous vehicle. An Israeli company, Tactical Robotics, has tested a pilotless vehicle capable of carrying large cargoes of both people and equipment along pre-programmed courses in all kinds of weather.
The Cormorant, a name shared by a large seabird, because of its rather unique propeller design, can land and takeoff in tight spots, locations even tighter than those safe for helicopter operations. Unlike a helicopter though, the Cormorant can operate in a variety of weather conditions, even into winds of 40 knots.
At present, the Cormorant is being tested for potential military use, but it’s a no-brainer to imagine a similar kind of vehicle scooting around an urban area like an airborne Uber, with a few people aboard. For those flying-Uber cynics, an option on the Cormorant is a ballistic parachute system similar to that on the Cirrus fleet. In a recent story, the Econo-Times said the biggest challenge ahead for the Cormorant and a burgeoning urban market is creating compact vehicles that are aerodynamic and agile.
