# Flying cars vs self driving cars **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-cars-vs-self-driving-cars/777049 "2017-01-13T17:13:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-cars-vs-self-driving-cars/777049/1 "2017-01-13T17:13:55Z")
The self driving cars are being retrofitted to the current road situations which were constructed based on human needs and abilities and thus is limited in terms of capacity, and safety. With the ‘drone age’, quadcopter design it may be feasible and safer, and easier to construct a network of self flying vehicles and leave the road system behind. For some reason it seems a lot simpler than the self driving revolution, and a lot cheaper, and perhaps a lot safer as there are fewer things to hit. Perhaps faster too, though I don’t know of a top speed of such a aircraft, but it could go directly bypassing the limitations of the ground and roads. Could this finally usher in the flying cars we were promised so very long ago? ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-cars-vs-self-driving-cars/777049/2 "2017-01-13T19:02:12Z")
Nope. Overall driverless will be safer than human-driven and, as it becomes ubiquitous, the road system will adapt to exploit its benefits and minimze its weaknesses. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-cars-vs-self-driving-cars/777049/3 "2017-01-13T19:19:03Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > The self driving cars are being retrofitted to the current road situations which were constructed based on human needs and abilities and thus is limited in terms of capacity, and safety. > > With the ‘drone age’, quadcopter design it may be feasible and safer, and easier to construct a network of self flying vehicles and leave the road system behind. > > For some reason it seems a lot simpler than the self driving revolution, and a lot cheaper, and perhaps a lot safer as there are fewer things to hit. Perhaps faster too, though I don’t know of a top speed of such a aircraft, but it could go directly bypassing the limitations of the ground and roads. > > Could this finally usher in the flying cars we were promised so very long ago? Paul Moller has been working on a quadcopter-type design long before drones became a household word. [![](https://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-05-21-SkycarLawn_5122512x366.jpg) ](https://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-05-21-SkycarLawn_5122512x366.jpg) He’s been saying for years that flying cars won’t be feasible until computers are good enough to do the flying and traffic control. > [@](#): > > The FAA and NASA are studying a system to manage air traffic for smaller aircraft. In conjunction with this new “flight control” for all aircraft, current systems such as GPS and TCAS will also be utilized by the M400. In addition, prior to M400 production, it is expected that technological advancements will allow for increased flight safety by relying on additional systems such as advanced computerized transponder signal relays, pre-programmed flight plans, and nearby traffic display. > > Ultimately, the airway network will direct all Skycars® in such a manner that, while traveling in a specific direction on a designated computer controlled airway, they will all be going at the same speed and be automatically separated from one another. > **[Moller International](https://moller.com/moller_skycar_faq.html)** > > Moller International has developed the first and only feasible and affordable personal vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-cars-vs-self-driving-cars/777049/4 "2017-01-13T19:36:38Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > For some reason it seems a lot simpler than the self driving revolution, That reason must be that you’re not thinking of any of the problems of “flying cars”. More expensive to build, way more expensive to operate, any errors are more dangerous than for a ground bound car, not actually simpler than a self driving car once your plan is to fill the sky with them. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-cars-vs-self-driving-cars/777049/5 "2017-01-13T19:55:19Z")
> [@naita](#): > > That reason must be that you’re not thinking of any of the problems of “flying cars”. More expensive to build, way more expensive to operate, any errors are more dangerous than for a ground bound car, not actually simpler than a self driving car once your plan is to fill the sky with them. They are more expensive to build **currently** , but that is because of economies of scale for cars and flying cars are a hand made and custom designed build. So you are comparing the cheapest manufacturing method to the most expensive. I would say that a quad copter would be simpler and cheaper, not to mention the savings on the road network in terms of wear and tear. Not talking about a hybrid car / quadcopter, but a quadcopter that is capable of very limited driving mainly for parking purposes. As for safety, perhaps a guided parachute system where the passenger compartment separates and the rest would be on a tether, hitting the ground first. It does not seem like it is not something that can’t be overcome. Not saying zero incidents, but perhaps less then self driving.