Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is working on artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous mobility and shared mobility/transport projects, including the Dubai Sky pods.
At an unveiling attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, the RTA showed two models of the Dubai Sky pods. The pods are a futuristic mobility system for the emirate, the RTA said.
The pods are said to use far less land space than conventional transportation means of the same capacity, while power efficiency is greater than that of electric vehicles. The systems infrastructure is also said to consume significantly less power than conventional transit systems offering the same capacity.
During a visit to the Metro Depot at Al Rashidiya, Sheikh Hamdan lauded the efforts of the RTA and its initiatives aimed at facilitating the mobility of public transport users. He was received by Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA.
Sheikh Hamdan inspected the new train of the Dubai Metro, which is undergoing testing at the depot. The Dubai Crown Prince also inspected a state-of-the-art rail maintenance system, a Grinding Machine that automatically restores worn tracks, and realigns rail tracks with the train wheels and eliminates the risk of rail breaking.
During his visit, Sheikh Hamdan reviewed the Range Rover Evoque convertible limo and the Dubai Taxi limo bike. The convertible limo is said to boast a unique mobility experience befitting the luxury of Dubai, while the Limo Bike offers riders and tourists an exceptional mobility experience, especially in winter. The limo bike is billed as a practical solution during peak hours at high-population-density areas.
The Crown Prince looked at the Mobile Command Vehicle, which the RTA uses in support of road and transport-related emergency and crises. Additionally, Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on the RTAs AI experience highlighted by the Dubai Metro, the worlds longest driverless metro. Sheikh Hamdan attended a presentation highlighting the RTAs efforts in operating the autonomous air taxi, which was run tentatively in 2017. The RTA said the technical specifications are being set after finishing the assessment of air taxi manufacturers.
Sheikh Hamdan was also given an update on the progress of preparations for the Dubai World Challenge for the Self-Driving Transport Congress, which aims to showcase the leading role of Dubai Government in self-driving mobility. The Challenge covers three pillars: self-driving vehicles integrated with public transport; self-driving vehicles used for transporting passengers within certain zones; and self-driving vehicles that link parking lots with entrances of destinations, said the statement.
