WHEN it was first mooted, the idea of people commuting by air via flying cars and drones was laughable.
The concept was seen as incredulous and many did not believe it would become a reality.
But now the conceptualisation does not seem far-fetched and is gaining traction as the first prototype of the flying car will be launched by Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof by October. The objective of this innovation is to beat traffic congestion, which wastes millions of hours of productive time.
The infrastructure and the ecosystem are in place and Malaysia’s entrepreneurs should capitalise on them.
THE MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM EXISTS
The existing automotive technology ecosystem can be used but efforts must be intensified to attract investments.
The ecosystem must be customised to make it practical for commercial application.
The promotional activities are easier when legislation is established just like in Singapore.
Malaysia will be ready for flying cars when there is established legislation.
PROVIDING A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT
The first attempt to build a flying car was by Glenn Curtis in 1917. It was an aluminium autoplane with three wings and four-blade propellers at the rear. It never flew but managed a few short hops.
Subsequently, the Arrowbile was developed in 1937 which was a three-wheeled car powered by a 100 horsepower engine.
The Aerocar was another model which received FAA approval. It was built with a fibreglass fuselage and was able to cruise at 193kph.
The cost of manufacturing a flying car can be very high.
The initial cost of the Skycar can be around US$1 million (RM4.12 million) and will gradually decrease to around US$60,000 if mass-produced. For mass production, the authorities must provide a conducive environment.
The industry requires big investment from financial institutions and complete confidence from investors since there are still safety issues which need to be addressed, such as reliability, back-up systems, and sophisticated redundancy management algorithms.
Besides that, there must be an insurance policy that covers automotive liability, and a second policy that covers in-flight liability for collision, property damage and personal injury.
Also, regulators must decide when it is a car, and when it becomes an aircraft, and under whose jurisdiction it will be when an accident occurs.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCED MATERIAL SUPPLIERS
For the next-generation drones or flying cars’ airframe structures, there should be a reduction in size and weight, which requires multifunctional materials.
For drones that operate with minimal human intervention, a more complex and reliable system is needed, such as piezoelectrics and neural networks, which can improve load and health monitoring capabilities.
There are numerous opportunities for manufacturers of a multitude of sensors. They include accelerometers, pressure transducers, piezoelectric sensors, actuators and strain gauges which can sense vehicle response.
Lightweight, high-powered magnets made from rare earth will be essential for advancing innovation in this sector.
An ideal system should be able to assess risk on the ground or in the air.
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE INCENTIVES TO MANUFACTURERS
The government has been awarding research grants to academic institutions, research centres and even private organisation in developing and constructing drones and flying car prototypes for the last two decades.
As for electric vehicles, there were incentives given by the government for hybrid and electric cars previously.
The government should consider awarding grants for autonomous flying vehicles too.
THE GOVERNMENT MUST PROMOTE THE SECTOR
The government has been supportive of local aerospace industries and universities. The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition was introduced in 1991.
Futurise Centre, Cyberjaya, was set up as a one-stop centre for companies and universities to develop prototypes of products and accelerate innovation.
The MyDrone X expo was held recently, through the efforts of Futurise Centre and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation. It focused on drone technologies and boosting awareness of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as enhancing the visibility of home-grown drone technology companies.
HOW TO BE READY FOR MASS PRODUCTION
To be ready for mass production, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia must certify and approve the flying car as no car can be mass manufactured unless the vehicle is certified. Composite materials will be the best as they are lightweight and strong.
A CLEAR POLICY IS NEEDED
Malaysia must have a clear policy for the industry to move forward.
Many comprehensive studies need to be done because safety issues are involved.
Once there are positive policies to support the industry, the chain of activities upstream and downstream would intensify.
The writer is head at the Malaysia Institute of Transport, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam