Dubai drone taxi takes to the sky in world's first public test

(Sept 27): Talk about rising above the masses.

Dubai staged the first public test of its drone taxi service on Monday, offering a peek at what it might—or will—be like to commute by flying car.

The self-piloting, electric Volocopter is less noisy and has a smaller physical and environmental footprint than a traditional helicopter. Offering space for two passengers, the 6.5-foot-high copter is topped by a 22-foot-wide hoop studded with 18 rotors. In video of the test, the all-white drone rose, unoccupied, about 650 feet over the sand near Jumeirah Beach Park, flew itself for about five minutes, and then gently landed.

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