Flying Taxis; Supersonic Flight; Self-driving Trucks; Future Factory | 60 Minutes Full Episodes
60 Minutes・44 minutes read
Companies are investing in electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (EV TOLs) as air taxis for faster, safer, and greener transportation solutions. Various companies like Hexa, Joby Aviation, Whisk Aero, and others are developing autonomous air taxis and supersonic jets to revolutionize transportation with advanced technology.
Insights
- Companies are investing in electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (EV TOLs) for air taxis, like the Hexa and Joby Aviation's aircraft, to revolutionize urban transportation with faster, safer, and greener options.
- The Media Lab at MIT, funded by 90 companies like Lego and Toshiba, pioneers cutting-edge technologies, from mind-controlled internet surfing to advanced prosthetic limbs, emphasizing innovation without traditional grant proposals and a focus on future-oriented exploration.
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Recent questions
What are electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (EV TOLs)?
EV TOLs are air taxis for urban transportation.
What is the purpose of autonomous air taxis?
Autonomous air taxis aim to provide safe and affordable transportation.
What are the benefits of supersonic jets like Overture?
Supersonic jets offer fast global travel at affordable prices.
How do autonomous trucks impact the transportation sector?
Autonomous trucks transform transportation with efficiency and cost savings.
What innovative technologies are developed at the Media Lab at MIT?
The Media Lab at MIT pioneers groundbreaking technologies.
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Summary
00:00
Electric Air Taxis Revolutionize Urban Transportation
- Companies are investing in electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (EV TOLs) to operate as air taxis from vertiports in congested cities.
- The EV TOLs promise faster, safer, and greener transportation options.
- The Hexa is a single-seat EVL powered by 18 propellers and batteries, controlled by a joystick and onboard computers.
- Hexa is in the testing phase, flown up to 195 ft at 24 mph, with a battery life of up to 15 minutes.
- Lift Aircraft's CEO envisions Hexa being used by commuters to avoid rush hour traffic, with a fleet model for public use.
- Joby Aviation's aircraft combines helicopter and airplane features, aiming to operate as an air taxi with a pilot and four passengers.
- Joby's design focuses on vertical takeoff for efficiency and speed, with a top speed of around 200 mph.
- Joby's batteries are lighter yet powerful, enabling efficient operation with multiple motors distributed throughout the aircraft.
- Joby plans to launch rides for paying customers at $250 by the end of the year, focusing on joy rides initially.
- Whisk Aero is developing a fully autonomous air taxi, aiming for safety, scalability, and affordability for the masses, with plans to launch in the world's 20 busiest cities within a decade.
16:01
"Revolutionizing Transportation: Supersonic Jets and Driverless Trucks"
- Blake, Sha, and Boom have constructed a Cedar test plane named Overture, with United Airlines ordering 15 Overture planes.
- Overture aims to offer supersonic flights at affordable prices, with the end goal of $100 for a four-hour global journey.
- The development of supersonic jets requires significant funding, estimated at $15-20 billion, with sustainability and engine challenges to overcome.
- The x59 test plane, designed by Lockheed Martin and NASA, aims to reduce sonic booms and revolutionize supersonic travel.
- The x59 test flights are planned for this year, with the goal of quieter supersonic flights by 2035.
- Autonomous trucking is advancing rapidly, with companies like Starsky Robotics and TuSimple leading the way in driverless truck technology.
- TuSimple's self-driving semis utilize advanced sensor systems and AI technology, with plans for driverless demonstration runs in 2021.
- Major shipping companies like UPS and Amazon are investing in autonomous trucking to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
- The driverless trucks can potentially cut cross-country travel time in half, with significant savings on driver salaries.
- The autonomous trucking industry is poised to transform the transportation sector, with potential benefits for efficiency and cost savings.
32:30
Driverless Truck Test Raises Safety Concerns
- The test involved autonomous driving with multiple cameras attached to the rig.
- The safety driver, Morine Fitzgerald, had 30 years of experience and was present to supervise.
- An engineer, John Pantela, monitored the software during the driverless truck's attempt at a 65m loop in Tucson.
- The driverless system made 20 decisions per second while navigating through traffic.
- Two Simple collects data from every truck to enhance performance.
- The technology is believed to be superior to human drivers by Morine Fitzgerald.
- Automated trucking poses a threat to the $800 billion trucking industry and many jobs.
- Concerns about safety and oversight regarding driverless trucks were raised by truckers and experts.
- The Media Lab at MIT is a hub for innovative technologies, including mind-controlled internet surfing.
- The lab has a history of developing groundbreaking technologies like flat panel displays and interactive systems.
49:16
Cutting-edge prosthetic legs revolutionize mountain climbing
- The speaker underwent a mountain climbing accident resulting in amputated limbs, leading to the creation of technologically advanced prosthetic legs with three computers and 12 sensors each, enhancing his climbing abilities beyond natural limits.
- The Media Lab, led by Joey Eto, operates with a $75 million budget funded by 90 companies paying membership fees, allowing faculty and students to innovate without grant proposals, with sponsors like Lego and Toshiba having priority access to inventions.
- Within the lab, Caleb Harper is developing "food computers" in abandoned particle accelerator sites, enabling controlled climate farming for plants like basil and cotton, yielding multiple crops in a year and growing 3 to 4 times faster than traditional methods, emphasizing the lab's focus on future-oriented exploration and innovation.
