Envisioning the future of on-demand, urban air transportation
Uber is committed to bringing its first on-demand air travel demonstration to the public in Los Angeles and Dallas in the year 2020. On-demand aviation and Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft bring far-reaching changes to cities and people's lives, with the potential to help people have quicker daily commutes, improve urban mobility and provide cleaner air around the world. In a multidisciplinary team, we were challenged by Uber to envision a holistic system which included advanced designs for skyport architecture, eVTOL interior, and exterior design and user interface to deliver a convenient and hassle-free experience for daily commuters. This work was presented and showcased at Uber Elevate Summit 2018 in Los Angeles, CA.
Team Members: Catherina Han | Joshua Han | Kiran Jesudusan
With the rise in urbanization, cities are more and more facing congested roads and traffic thus citizens are losing time in their daily commutes. Uber Elevate is aiming to close the commute pain that citizens in cities around the world feel in addition to proving cleaner air around the world.
Simple diagram below illustrates how lifesaving this service would be especially during rush hours with congested roads.
Home
Dallas International Airport
Personal car
1 hour
Road
Uber Elevate
Uber Elevate
20 minutes
Uber Elevate Journey
This video is a contribution of Catherina Han, Joshua Han, Kiran Jesudasan and Atria Azarmi
Clover Leaf System Design
The corkscrew cloverleaf system design factors safety as the most essential part of the system and provides the quickest and most effortless transportation experience in the middle of the highway.
Safety
Dedicating specific Uber entry lane to clover leaf
Dedicated Uber Elevate lanes insure quick and safe access of passengers to terminal.
Efficiency
Assigning specific pick up and drop off areas
Assigned pick up and drop off areas increase efficiency in short period of time.
Scalability
Applying the same system to a different context
Ability to apply identical corkscrew system to different clover leaf systems to reduce construction cost.
Skyport Architecture Design
This skyport design not only reduces possible distractions caused by take-off and landing of EVTOLs on the skyport roof for drivers by providing a shield around the skyport, but also prevents the air circulation generated from eVTOLs to affect the safety of cars on the road. In addition, this infrastructure maintains the main purpose of this land to provide drainage for rain and keeping the green space beside showcasing a functional but beautiful architectural piece in the middle of the highway
Easy and Fast Access
Separating arrival and departure to avoid confusions
Separated arrival and departure areas reduces traffic conflicts and risk of passengers getting lost.
Localization
Incorporating local culture to increase acceptance
Utilizing local culture elements increases acceptance by adding meaning and value to the local community.
Modularity
Using modular architecture design to reduce cost
Applying modular architecture components reduces construction cost allowing for faster expansion and scaling.
Skyport Experience Design
The skyport design not only provides a straightforward and simple experience for users but also manages passengers flow to decrease confusions and traffic. Offering meeting zones in skyports reduce the extra commute time for location independent workers. In addition, Uber box service incorporates hassle-free delivery allowing easy access of packages for customers.
Meeting Zone
Incorporating meeting zones for midpoint meetings
Dedicated semi private areas allows users to complete quick tasks and meetings, while increasing traffic for Uber.
Uber Box
Receiving online orders at skyport Uber Box
Uber Box saves busy passengers time and energy by allowing them to pick up their Uber eats and grocery orders at the skyport.
Digital Connectivity
Using Infrastructure to deliver information
Digitally connected infrastructure provides the right amount of information at the right time, to reduce the risk of missing scheduled rides.
Digital Interface Design
Providing essential information to passengers during each step of their journey, decreases confusion and assures a convenient and easy experience through the whole journey. Each element and function on the app is specifically designed to help users with different parts of the journey to minimize mistakes and complexity.
Color System
Linking diverse touch points through journey with color
Assigned specific color to each passenger throughout the trip makes identifying vehicles, eVTOLs and seats quick and hassle-free.
AR Ruler
Using AR ruler to measure passengers bags
luggage measurements gained through AR ruler in the app, helps with accounting extra space needed for over weight luggages.
In Flight Entertainment
Providing AR infographics during flights
Information about notable places, flight map and time to destination provide entertainment during flight.
Vehicle Design
Focusing on delivering the most convenient passenger experience during flight, staggered seating layout was designed to provide more personal space for each passenger. In addition, use of materials, patterns, and colors inside the cabin focus on approachability as the message of the brand.
Foldable Seats
Folding seats to maximize space usage for bags
Foldable seats allow extra storage space, besides modularity of seats provides easier maintenance and cleanliness.
Easy ingress and egress
Providing steps and lighting for safer ingress and egress
Entry on sides of the vehicle along with integrated lighting system guarantees safe ingress and egress.
Charging station
Using charging stations as a form of information delivery
Displaying specific landing pad information and charging status of eVTOL assures safety and decreases confusion.
