Future Products and Trends (Part VII)
This Is Uber’s Vision of the Flying Car (Recode)
Electrical vertical and takeoff landing vehicles, better known as flying cars, are gaining real traction towards becoming commercially viable. It’s interesting to see companies like Uber looking to partner up with research and manufacturing companies, such as Bell Helicopter, to implement the flying car in everyday society. This has serious implications for us, looking at all of the new infrastructure needed to support flying cars, and the air traffic laws amongst many others to be developed, processed, and implemented.
Your Guide to Commercial Space Travel in 2018 (CNN)
The space race is on. We’re excited to see companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Boeing filling the gap by making progress towards getting Americans into space. The prospect of commercial space travel is accelerating, with private trips around the moon and the chance to experience microgravity in the near horizon. This creates many marketing, travel, vacationing, and even sports opportunities for our future.
The Future of Rail Travel, and Why It Doesn’t Look like Hyperloop (IFLScience)
In today’s world, we want to get to where we are going, and fast. You mostly hear about the hyperloop being the future of fast travel, but there are already working speed trains such as the Maglev train in Shanghai. Where will this shift in rail travel take us as automation becomes further entrenched in the industry? It will be beyond our lifetime, but I do believe high-speed trains will take over all current private and public rail systems.
China Plans Historic Mission to the Moon’s ‘Dark’ Side (NBC News MACH)
Now, this is just cool. Pink Floyd would likely be able to tell us a big “we told ya so” but China is about to find out for themselves by sending a mission to the dark side of the moon! A strong curiosity for the unknown is what drives us forward in technology and society. We can’t wait to see what they find.
The Future of Public Transportation Will Come From New Tech and Sustainability (engineering.com)
Taking a strategic approach by focusing on new technology and more importantly, sustainability, is the only way cities can lower carbon emissions. Exploring technologies to facilitate easier public navigation and fare payments, lowering negative environmental impacts, and growing the economy play an important role in a city’s continued growth.
Public Meetings Will Help Plan Future of Houston-Area Transportation (Houston Chronicle)
Right in our hometown of Houston, we have a reputation for bad traffic, and worse, devastating flooding. How do we prevent this in the future, when Houston is also a rapidly growing city and will require further development? We’re happy to see the Houston-Galveston Area Council taking a strategic approach to this issue, taking into account the land being used and how it affects flooding and other environmental issues. They’re also planning to host 11 public events in the future, to keep the public informed and their concerns heard.
[EDitor’s Note]:
Imagine how we used to get around 10, 50, or even 100 years ago and the impact on how, where, why, how often, and with whom we interacted. Whether going right around the corner, commuting to your day job, or taking off for an extended vacation, your travel—how you get there and the fuel you’ll use for your journey—is evolving. Implications range from personal to business travel, individual to mass transportation, anyone who has a job, and the economy at large. That’s not even mentioning the effect on communications, advertising, and marketing. Will there be billboards on the moon? WiFi between here and there?
—Ed Cantú, Strategic Director
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