New Means of Transportation and the Future of Human Travel

Featured article by Diana Smith, Independent Technology Author

Transportation – the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the concept of a futuristic city. This motif has been explored in many sci-fi movies and, even if you aren’t a fan of them, you are likely aware of the ideas. We’ve rounded up some concepts of futuristic transportation, some of them close to realization, others sparks of imagination!

Flying Cars

Let’s be honest, the concept of a flying car is the first thing that comes to mind when you think “futuristic transportation”. This idea has been present for quite a while, featured in films such as Back to the Future, The Fifth Element and many others. So, how close is this to realization? Well, the answer to this question can be a bit complicated.

We actually have the necessary technology to create a flying car, so the problem isn’t really technology-related. First of all, even though a prototype exists, mainstreaming this kind of a vehicle is still far away from happening; in fact, it may never see the light of day owing to the fact that we are running out of resources, such as fuel – something that is necessary in huge amounts for flying. Another reason why this kind of a vehicle is not really likely to start rolling out is outlined in the fact that it will cost a bunch to make. Now, the third, final reason for this technology still being far away – air traffic laws. How would this work? Would every driver have to possess a piloting license? How will it be kept safe and secure for the drivers? Who will regulate the air traffic and how?

All these questions remain to be answered, but, even though this type of traffic is highly unlikely of ever happening, who knows, we might be flying to work one day. One thing is for certain, world could do without traffic jams!

Lightweight Cars

Let’s dial the whole thing down a notch, to a concept that is far more palpable. The future of transportation is likely to feature significantly lighter cars. Why is this important? Well, we live in a world of pollution – the heavier the car is, the more fuel needs to be burned. Furthermore, as we mentioned, fuel resources won’t be around forever; we are already running out. This begs for a new solution, which is likely to be streamlined as electric power – now, the electric motors are weaker than their gas-guzzling evil brothers and, the lighter the car is, the easier it will move. Simple as that. Lightweight cars are either going to happen, or we’ll wish that they did.

Hovering

Now, although the flying car is unlikely to happen any time soon, what’s the next best thing to flying? You guessed it, hovering! Hovercrafts already exist and the best part of these unique vehicles is that they are amphibious. You probably have took a flight or two during your lifetime, but have you actually ever really flied, your hands in control? Unless you are a pilot, chances are that you haven’t, so hovering is as close to flying as it gets! Now, although hovercrafts have existed for decades now, they haven’t really been mainstreamed.

With personal hoverboards, or airboards, flying is almost possible, even for the Average Joe! You can go ahead and check out the Segway board– it doesn’t really hover, but you’ll definitely feel like you are and all of this for the buck! It requires no special skills and is completely environmentally-friendly. Airboards use hovercraft engines, which are demanding, loud and dirty. The board in question contains a battery that recharges in a matter of a couple of hours, allowing you to travel large distances on a single charge!

These three concepts are potential futures of human transportation. Although flying cars are yet far away from realization, the other two are not only likely to happen, but also quite progressive, in terms of eco-friendliness and practicality.