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SKT provides a safe connection between the UAM pilot and command ground station during a Thursday demonstration at Gimpo International Airport. (SKT) |
A dream team with the goal of trialing commercial air taxis by 2025 demonstrated Thursday its commercial Urban Air Mobility system, or UAM.
The team consists of Korea Airports Corp., Hanwha Systems, Korea Transport Institute, Tmap Mobility and SK Telecom.
UAM is a new air transportation system that involves private electric aircraft taking off and landing vertically.
It can travel faster than cars as it is free from traffic on land, shortening the time to reach a destination to 20 minutes from what could take an hour by car.
The industry aims to provide UAM service for moving around 30 to 50 kilometers within the metropolitan area.
The routes it can use and the height it can reach is similar to that of a helicopter, but it is powered by electricity and is seen as eco-friendly.
UAM does not produce carbon dioxide and is less noisy than a helicopter.
SK Telecom and partner companies demonstrated the capability of the commercial air taxi service, infrastructure, airframe and research Thursday.
The wireless career provided a safe connection between the UAM pilot and command ground station.
The air taxi driver flew around the outskirts of Gimpo International Airport for about three minutes to prove its safety.
This was an important trial to come up with an information-sharing mechanism to provide UAM as a speedy and comfortable transfer service to passengers using airports and with a safety control system.
SK Telecom also demonstrated its communication network for air transportation using ICT technology.
Tmap Mobility showed off a next-generation mobility platform that connects convenient city transportation with UAM.
During the demonstration, a scene where a transfer vehicle arrives just as UAM lands was portrayed through VR.
The Korea Airports Corp. not only demonstrated the first UAM airport trial in the country, but also showed a general control system for UAM and airplanes, as well as an UAM airfield using a business terminal at Gimpo International Airport.
Hanwha Systems exhibited the airframe of its air taxi “Butterfly,” which can carry up to five people and navigate at a maximum speed of 320 kilometers per hour.
The South Korean government plans to commercialize UAM as an airport shuttle service by 2025.
The service route centered on Gimpo International Airport is expected to use SK Telecom’s transportation management infrastructure along with the Tmap Mobility application to allow passengers to call air taxis.
By Hong Yoo (
yoohong@heraldcorp.com)
