Paris Motor Show 2018: FLUTR Debuts as one of the First Passenger-Carrying Drones
Our team at Drone Below had the privilege to attend this year’s Mondial Motor Show in Paris which took place from October 4th – October 11th at the Paris Expo Center. Aside from the stunning cars, amazing motorbikes, new concepts and the electrical revolution shown through some of the largest car manufacturers, what got our eye was a new project named FLUTR – or a passenger-carrying quadcopter drone that was shown in one of the halls of the motor show.
FLUTR has impressed literally every viewer that passed by next to it. There was a booth where audience was informed about the drone’s possibilities. From its design, many could tell that this is the next step in drone development, possibly being one of the best-looking devices at the Mondial 2018.
As we approached FLUTR’s booth, one of the presenters was kind enough to inform us that the FLUTR lives by the motto “driving is so…yesterday” – with that promoting the idea of a passenger-carrying drone which so far has been in the planning process of many companies such as UBER, Amazon etc.
The next information that we received was even more important. Aside from its nice design, we found out that FLUTR is a concept that is flyable by any user – which puts driving in the second place. More importantly, the flying as a process is very easy – and FLUTR is amazingly simpler, more simpler than many would think of.
The brand clearly targets a general audience with this passenger-carrying drone, mainly targeting everyone since FLUTR is “created for everybody to use” as their website clearly states.
That said, FLUTR pitches itself as a mini-helicopter drone that everyone can use – mainly to allow all the ‘Tony Starks’ out there to be realistic and keep in-par with today’s technology. More importantly, the concept is based on the technology that we have today – and not any concept or experiment.
The next key feature of FLUTR is the sustainability. The model emits zero gases and lives by the premise that “environment matters.” The helicopter-like cabin has been making headlines for its acceptable noise profile, cool design as well as amazing obstacle-avoiding features and the safety of its (enclosed) rotors.
If you think that FLUTR is a project that we will likely see a hundred years from now, that’s my opinion as well. However, the presenters at the booth showed me the very opposite. Accoridng to them, we can see FLUTRs in the urban air environments sooner than later – as the design is perfect for short commutes, fun trips across town, weekend adventures and more.
To sum it up, FLUTR is a quadcopter drone that can carry up to 2 passengers – dedicated to realising the dream that we all have – to fly in the air, just like in the movies, and just in line with the development of technology nowadays.
What many got wrong from FLUTR presentation is the start of this project. Since there is no proper regulation around passenger-carrying drones right now, FLUTR is forced to start as a pay-per-rent project in many cities around the world.
With it, passengers would choose a FLUTR in the ‘FLUTR minutes’ program and pay per minute, driving in the sky and flying by themselves. Obviously, a FLUTR license will be required (but can be obtained by a 2 day fun trainign course).
The prices for renting a FLUTR will apparently start from “only $4 per minute” as the official website says, with payment options that include credit cards and PayPAl.
More details on this project could be released soon.
If you want to learn more about FLUTR and the ‘FLUTR minutes’ which is a program meant to help you find your nearest FLUTR and pay by the minute for riding this thing, you can head to the FLUTR website and see how the vehicle can be rented and driven in the sky.