Uber Elevate is an air taxi service concept for 2025 that brings the convenience of on-demand ride-hailing to the skies. As more people live in urban metro’s and megacities than ever before, ground-based transportation infrastructure is overwhelmed with congestion. Uber Elevate leverages passenger drones and mini-airports to utilize the airspace above cities to create a safe, efficient and unique way to travel.

Advances in flight control systems for electric multi-rotor aircraft have opened up a new class of aircraft called eVTOL’s. Tilting wings and rotors bring the benefits of helicopters and airplanes together. This enables Aura to takeoff and land vertically while producing efficient lift generation while cruising. Flying quickly between cities, the cabin has capacity for four passengers, with room for one carry-on and one handbag each. Designed for range and convenience, Aura is the future of inter-city travel.

Alongside validating seating layouts, we generated concepts to visualize the cabin environment. More than just efficient use of space, the aesthetics and interactions of the interior design relied on user ergonomics, ingress and bag storage. Consequently, the exterior design needed to accommodate the spatial requirements of the interior while taking into account vehicle aerodynamics and lift.

Aura is the future of urban air transportation. A tilt-wing style passenger drone that features: a carbon fiber monocoque design, gull-wing doors, and unparalleled views through through panoramic windows, a clear pilot separator, and bluetooth connected 360 degree cameras on the vehicle exterior.

As ground space continues to dwindle in dense urban environments, it makes sense to “build up” rather than out. However, building new vertical buildings is costly. Why not re-purpose existing structures with added functionality? Skyport is a mini-airport concept, that can be retro-fitted on top of existing parking structures.  Skyport is marked by a street-level elevator and pylon at its entrance. Housing Aura eVTOL’s and commuter lounges with unique views of the city, Skyport brings life to spartan infrastructure.

While establishing the flow of people and aircraft, opportunities emerged to create visual and interactive experiences in the airport. Our goal was to elicit a feeling of ascending into the skies, by leveraging elevators and unique views of the city. In keeping a safe and secure environment, boarding and interactions occur indoors with computer vision oversight, enabling personalized experiences.

Access from the external elevator, whether by ground or the parking structure entrances into a modern digitally connected airport. Step into Skyport where you’ll be greeted by open space, a gallery of indoor boarding gates and commuter lounges with panoramic views of the city. With embedded sensors for seamless security, mass transit style turnstiles and grab-n-go shelves, you can stay on the move.

TaxiBots are Skyport-based support robots that taxi and quick-charge Aura aircraft immediately upon landing to minimize cycle time between flights. By offloading ground-taxi equipment and a deploy-able step into the TaxiBot, the Aura can be more weight-efficient than traditional aircraft. Building in autonomy into the Skyport through the TaxiBots adds a layer of flexibility to air traffic control and parking bay assignments.

View more at: https://sagarsahoo.design/portfolio-item/uber-elevate/