Categories
Autonomous Vehicles, New Mobility & the Built Environment Electric Vehicles Internet of Everything Smart Cities Technology Wearable & Implantables Wireless

Fit and Forget & Many More Ways the World Is Changing #IDTechEx


Roads that generate electricity, solar-powered planes that stay up for weeks at a time and electricity storage that is a part of a structure are the types of things that Dr. Peter Harrop sees in the not-too-distant future.¹ Harrop, the Chairman of the Board of IDTechEx, brings a unique, informed and practical perspective to how the world is changing, as his experience includes being the former Director of Technology of Plessey Capacitors Scotland and Chief Executive Officer of Mars Electronics.

To the naysayers of mobility electrification and alternative power generation, he suggests that they are acting like those who suggested the cell phone could never replace the landline. He makes the point that what those earlier critics missed is that the smartphone didn’t just replace one device (the telephone), but replaced many devices by providing greater utility and new functionality. Similarly, he believes that smart materials will serve multiple functions, reducing overall cost.

And speaking of cost, he points to China is driving down the cost through volume production of things like electric buses. He points to BYD and their holistic view of how the electrification of mobility ties to the grid and renewable electricity generation.

Beyond the functionality, smart materials and new production techniques effectively collapse many individual components into a few, greatly increasing reliability. He cites Tactotek as an example of a producer of smart molded structures that was able to replace the 65 discrete switches and components of an overhead control of a car with one molded component. In addition to the cost and reliability benefits, this approach also shaves weight, which is an important element in improving efficiency in transportation. He calls this new approach, “Fit and forget.”

These new materials are spurring the development of electric aircraft that are already finding specific use-cases, such as the Bye Aerospace Sun Flyer 2. According to Bye Aerospace founder, George Bye, the equivalent energy use of their electric airplanes is approximately one dollar per flight hour (YouTube) (another publication suggests $3/hour), which is significantly lower than aviation-fuel-based airplanes and is much cleaner and quieter. The first generation, which is due out in 2020, is optimized for training and will fly for 3 to 3.5 hours at 135 knots/hour (approx 155 mph).

Using Bye Aerospace as the benchmark for the energy cost per mile for what drones might cost, it is no wonder that Harrop is so enthusiastic about the potential for low-cost flights in urban areas. For example, using the $3 per hour figure cited by Bye, the operating cost of his plane translates to about 2 cents per mile. It’s not a reach to think that electric drones might have similar operating costs, which are much less than what has been projected for autonomous vehicles. Perhaps the Jetson-like future of flying buses over the I-405 might not be too much of a stretch as those per mile costs are even less than what has been projected for autonomous vehicles.

And Harrop talks about the possibilities of shared autonomous shuttles; what he describes as sort of fishbowls on wheels that are a cross between a taxi and bus (he jokingly says they should be called TaxUs). Again, he points to the smart materials, such as screens integrated into glass that will help provide enhanced experiences (as demonstrated by video clips of Accessible Olli).

These technology developments in mobility, along with new forms of efficient electric transportation, such as low-cost electric vehicles and drones that serve as virtual cell towers, will not only change how we get around but where we live. Harrop suggests that the resulting cost reductions in mobility and communications might spur a move back to rural areas.


¹ That a traditional construction company is writing about integrating IoT and electric charging into road infrastructure, it is a sign that times are a changing.

Author Ken Pyle, Managing Editor

By Ken Pyle, Managing Editor

Ken Pyle is Marketing Director for the Broadband Forum. The mission of this 25+-year-old non-profit “is to unlock the potential for new markets and profitable revenue growth by leveraging new technologies and standards in the home, intelligent small business, and multi-user infrastructure of the broadband network.”

He is also co-founder of Viodi, LLC and Managing Editor of the Viodi View, a publication focused on the rural broadband ecosystem, autonomous vehicles, and electric aviation. He has edited and produced numerous multimedia projects for NTCA, US Telecom and Viodi. Pyle is the producer of Viodi’s Local Content Workshop, the Video Production Crash Course at NAB, as well as ViodiTV. He has been intimately involved in Viodi’s consulting projects and has created processes for clients to use for their PPV and VOD operations, as well authored reports on the independent telco market.

Linked In Profile

3 replies on “Fit and Forget & Many More Ways the World Is Changing #IDTechEx”

At less than $50 per hour to operate, will electric flying become a practical way getting to distances of 50 to 300 miles? This could be a boon to rural areas, as it would make right-size air travel practical at relatively affordable prices with demonstrations of the combined e-flyer and Blackbird scheduling technology to begin as early as 2020.

https://www.byeaerospace.com/blackbird-partners-with-bye-aerospace-to-make-on-demand-flying-more-affordable-than-driving/

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.