“Flying car” course launched by Australian university RMIT

A new course on “flying cars” has been launched by a major Australian university. Students will learn by flying drones through backyards. 

RMIT Online announced its Flying Car and Autonomous Flight Engineer program in August alongside classes on AI and “ethical” hacking. The test vehicles do not appear to be drivable on public roads.

“The future of work is moving at an incredible speed … jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago are now in high demand,” a spokesperson for the university told Drive. 

“Beyond flying cars, there is a bigger conversation to be had around how we prepare Australians with the skills and lifelong learning mentality to keep pace with the changes we’re seeing across workplaces.” 

Marketing material says students will use a 3D-printed remote control drone, dubbed the “quadrotor test platform”. This uses four BR110X brushless electric motors and can be connected to a virtual reality headset. 

As with many products promoted as “flying cars,” the drone does not appear to be drivable on public roads. The university says skills developed with the test platform will be applicable across multiple designs. 

One assignment listed as “backyard flyer” says participants must write computer code to get a drone to “take off, fly a predetermined path, and land in a simulated backyard environment.”

Classes start September 11, 2023 and run for about four months. Enrollment cost is $2000. It runs parallel to part-time courses on artificial intelligence and “ethical” hacking. 

Flying cars have been a pipedream of the automotive industry almost since its conception. Hundreds of prototypes have been trialled with various levels of success. 

Hundreds of real-world prototypes have been trialled with various levels of success. Notable examples include the 1949 Taylor Aerocar, 1949 Aerocar, 1973 Mizar, and 2003 Moller M400 Skycar.

In recent years technology giants have poured billions of dollars into flying car development. Rideshare giant Uber sold its department in 2020, after years saying it represented the company’s future. 

In March 2023 a flying police car was revealed in concept form at the Avalon Air Show in Australia.

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