Each pod can accommodate up to five passengers and travel at speeds of up to 150km/h…

Do you ever struggle with public transport or getting to work on time in rush hour traffic? Well Dubai’s latest unveiling – Sky Pods, may be a way to help you on your morning commute.

Shown at the annual World Government Summit in Dubai, the Sky Pod aims to bring autonomous travel to daily commuters, with two versions on show: the Unibike and Unicar.

The Unibike  has a lightweight body and steel wheels which will operate on suspended rails. Each pod can accommodate one to five passengers and travel at impressive speeds of 150kmh, with a maximum capacity of 20,000 riders per hour.

The second pod design is the Unicar, which is designed for longer journeys up to 200km. The Unicar can travel up to 150kmh and transport around 50,000 riders an hour.

 

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The Sky pods require five times less power than electric vehicles and 10 times less infrastructure than the current systems in place.

Back in December 2018, two Sky pod concept models were shown to HH Sheikh Hamdan during a visit to the RTA Metro Depot, with the Dubai Crown Prince later taking to Twitter to describe it as a ‘futuristic mobility system’.

It’s the latest in a series of autonomous transport solutions in Dubai, adding to the driverless taxis already being trialled in the city. Dubai aims for 25 per cent of transport journeys in the city to be conducted by autonomous means by 2030.

Trials of the Sky Pod’s have not yet been revealed, although it’s thought it will be announced at the World Government Summit. And judging by the rapid speed at which Dubai is evolving, we could be zipping round the city in one sooner than we think…

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Words: Ben Welham