Have you ever watched an auto race and thought, “This is great and all, but it could really use more flying”? Well, you might want to train your eyes on a corner of Australia, where vehicle testing is now underway that could lead to a racing series for flying cars. Think of the airborne thrills of drone racing, except with drivers — perhaps “pilots” would be more appropriate — along for the ride.
Writing at The Guardian, Donna Lu explored what’s been going on in southern Australia. The region has been the site of remotely piloted test flights of flying cars — specifically, the Alauda Airspeeder Mk3 — in preparation for a racing series set to launch next year.
The series is known as Airspeeder, and its founder — Matthew Pearson — also founded vehicle manufacturer Alauda. When fully up and running, the racing series could see competitors moving at between 90 and 150 miles per hour.
Pearson told The Guardian that the racing series will begin with the flying cars piloted remotely, but that the ultimate goal is for the pilots to be on board. A combination of lidar and radar systems will be in use to prevent collisions — something Pearson dubbed “a virtual forcefield.” It’s reassuring to hear that proper safety measures will be in effect; high-tech vehicles engaged in high-speed racing in mid-air sounds deeply compelling, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of the drivers’ health.
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