
A scale model of a flying drone-car drove and hovered across an Amsterdam exhibition hall Tuesday, providing a glimpse of what could be the future of urban mobility.
周二,一架无人驾驶飞机的比例模型在阿姆斯特丹的一个展厅上空盘旋,让人们得以一瞥城市交通的未来。
The 'Pop.Up Next' prototype drone, being developed by aviation giant Airbus, automaker Audi and the Italdesign design house is made up of three separate modules — a chassis with wheels, a two-seat capsule for passengers and a four-rotor drone. The concept has been shown before, but a one-quarter-size scale model made its maiden public flight at the Amsterdam Drone Week convention.
由航空巨头空中客车、汽车制造商奥迪和意大利设计公司共同开发的“Next”无人机原型机由三个独立模块组成——一个带轮子的底盘、一个可容纳两名乘客的胶囊和一个四旋翼无人机。这一概念之前已经展示过,但在阿姆斯特丹无人机周大会上,四分之一大小的模型首次公开飞行。
First, the drone flew across the hall and landed on a black parking spot. Then a small car drove itself underneath the drone and its passenger capsule was lifted up to latch onto the underside of the drone. Once the two were docked, the drone lifted off again and flew back to its starting point, where the capsule was lowered onto another set of wheels to continue its journey.
首先,无人机飞过大厅,落在一个黑色的停车位上。然后,一辆小车在无人驾驶飞机下面自动行驶,它的乘客舱被提起来,与无人驾驶飞机的底面相连。这俩部分着陆后,无人驾驶飞机再次起飞,飞回起点,将返回舱降落到另一组轮子上,继续飞行。
The model's test flight went off without a hitch, but don't plan on hailing such an airborne ride any time soon. There are several steps to be taken before the Pop.Up Next, or a future iteration of the drone, is ready for commercial use.
该模型的试飞顺利进行,但短期内不打算进行空中飞行。在Pop.Up Next,或者未来的无人机迭代已准备好用于商业用途之前,需要采取一些步骤。
'For this we need to tick a list of boxes - —the vehicle is one, safety is the overarching one, infrastructure is one, acceptability is another one,' said Airbus executive Jean Brice Dumont. 'I think it will take more than a decade until a real significant, massive deployment of an air taxi system' is ready.
空客高管让·布莱斯·杜蒙表示:“要做到这一点,我们需要列出一系列条件——首先是车辆,其次是安全性,其次是基础设施,最后是可接受性。”“我认为,真正大规模部署空中出租车系统需要10多年的时间”。
One serious competitor plans to be ready even earlier.
一个重要的竞争对手甚至更早地做好了准备。
Uber unveiled an artist's impression a year ago of a sleek machine it hopes to start using for demonstration flights in 2020 and to have in service in 2023. Uber's battery-powered aircraft looks like a cross between a small plane and a helicopter, with fixed wings and rotors.
一年前,优步(Uber)发布了一幅艺术性的效果图,展示了一款表面光滑的机器。优步希望在2020年开始使用这款机器进行演示飞行,并在2023年投入使用。Uber的电池动力飞机看起来像是小型飞机和直升机的混合体,有着固定的机翼和旋翼。
Meanwhile, a Dutch company has developed its own flying vehicle called the PAL-V Liberty that is a three-wheeled, two-seat car and gyroplane rolled into one.
与此同时,一家荷兰公司开发出了自己的飞行器,名为“自由号”(PAL-V Liberty),是一种三轮双座汽车和旋翼飞机合二为一的飞行器。
At the Amsterdam convention, European regulators also are discussing how to keep the continent's airspace safe as more and more drones take to the skies.
在阿姆斯特丹大会上,欧洲监管机构也在讨论如何在越来越多的无人机飞上蓝天之际,保持欧洲领空的安全。
European Union rules are expected to come into force next year harmonizing drone regulations across the 28-nation bloc.
预计欧盟(European Union)的规定将于明年生效,以协调欧盟28个成员国对无人机的监管。
'As this industry is rapidly expanding, it is important for us to anticipate market developments and be prepared for change,' said Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency.
欧洲航空安全局执行主任帕特里克·基(Patrick Ky)表示:“由于该行业正在迅速扩张,我们有必要预测市场发展,并为变化做好准备。”
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