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Uber is planning on adding to its ride-sharing service by pioneering air travel-for-hire, and one architecture and design firm has an idea to make it scalable.
At the Uber Elevate summit in Los Angeles Wednesday, Dallas-based firm Corgan unveiled designs for a modular platform for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, which Uber plans to use for its UberAIR arm.
The structures, called Uber Mega Skyports, can be used on top of buildings in their individual forms or combined vertically and horizontally to create webs of infrastructure that could potentially make flying cars a service for more than just affluent residents of glitzy skyscrapers.
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The skyports have four components: the Bridge, where UberAIR passengers will enter; the Connection Plaza, which will take them inside the skyport; the Station, the central gathering area, which would include amenities and businesses; and the Flight Deck.
Corgan's design allows its skyports to integrate with existing highway systems for ease of access to cars. Placing skyports along highways would also minimize the impact of the added noise and construction, according to Corgan.
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The firm was one of six chosen to present concepts at the Uber Elevate summit in Dallas, a city that has promised to roll out the use of UberAIR by 2024.
CORRECTION, MAY 10, 2:15 P.M. ET: A previous version of this story misstated the location of the Uber Elevate conference. This article has been updated.
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