Comment on The flying car completes first ever inter-city flight (Official Video)

rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

• knobbysideup@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  You can’t drive a helicopter down the freeway. You can’t land one just anywhere.

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  • snooggums@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    You can't with this car plane either, a runway that gives room for the wings and tail to extend AND to be out while moving forward up to speed or landing will be necessary.

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    • w2qw@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      The point is though it can travel on the ground to the airport.

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      • QHC@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        So do cars and trains! They easily take people to the airport, where you can conveniently park your helicopter between uses.

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  • meco03211@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Not with that attitude!

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  • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Why would flying cars be easier to land anywhere than a helicopter is? This is exactly why flying cars are impractical.

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• Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  If they were driven by competent AI, it could be feasible with a slew of new safety regulations in specified areas of the country/world.

  But we aren’t even there yet with cars. You could absolutely argue some companies are very close, though! 100% not Tesla at any stretch of the imagination, but others have been putting the work in for over a decade with advanced technologies and countless hours of testing.

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  • rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    The competency of the AI is key. Maybe we’ll be there in another generation or two, but I’m not inspired with much confidence while even the big celebrated AI models still work like crap and can’t be trusted with actual human safety.

    Also, accidents will always happen no matter what. On a 2D road a crash can be very tragic, but the area of effect is way limited compared to an equivalent car crash happening in the air causing human and machine parts to rain down dangerously onto an entire neighborhood and the people in it. Even under some imaginary complete and flawless AI control, any airborne “road” will always be a hazard to whatever’s underneath it.

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• Tatters@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

  How is a helicopter remotely like a car?

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  • rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Putting aside the different principles behind how they propel themselves through space, the basic concept of a helicopter and a car are quite similar.

    • It’s a metal box with machinery, windows, and doors.
    • You open a door and get in at the start of your trip.
    • You sit at the controls, which you are required to undergo training to use properly and lawfully.
    • Other passengers can sit in the rest of the seats and come along with you on the trip.
    • You activate the machinery and make the box move where you want, maneuvering along paths and around obstacles.
    • At the end of the trip you stop the box in a safe place, switch off the machinery, and get out.

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    • Tatters@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      All of that applies equally to aeroplanes and boats. I don’t see how a car is any more like a helicopter than e.g. a small aeroplane.

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  • hibbfd@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    maybe they are talking about the helicopters you can drive around in too. they don't have big rotors on top, just basically a little fan in the front to cool the radiator when not in flight mode.

    oh wait I'm thinking of a car

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