In the early 1960s, the Hanna-Barbera animated television series, The Jetsons predicted a future world of flying cars and homes in the sky. Flying taxis have been predicted for decades, but physics dictated that vertical takeoff and landing meant the cost and complexity of helicopters. Today, high-capacity batteries combined with lightweight, high-efficiency electric motors promise to make passenger carrying drones similar to small-scale hobby drones: multiple motors, multiple rotors and microprocessor control for stability. The technology will be ready soon. But will the regulatory framework be ready when hardware is?
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