[Report] "It Takes Only 10 Minutes from Mapo to Gangnam by Flying Car"

June 10-12, 2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo

Hanwha Systems' UAM 'Butterfly' in Development

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] "It takes only 10 minutes to get from Mapo Culture Reservoir Base to COEX in Samseong-dong."

At the '2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo' held over three days from the 10th at the Culture Reservoir Base in Seongsan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, the most eye-catching feature was Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Known as the 'flying car,' UAM is a next-generation transportation mode that uses the sky as a road, capable of vertical takeoff and landing, allowing urban operation without a runway. Although the technology is not yet ready for immediate commercialization, research and development have become more concrete beyond past imagination, and services are coming into visible range, drawing concentrated interest from visitors.

At the entrance of the venue located at the foot of Maebongsan in Mapo, individual companies such as LG Uplus, KT, Hanwha Systems, and Hyundai Motor Group had exhibition spaces set up outside on the right side, while on the left stood the main exhibition hall focusing on UAM, smart logistics, and autonomous driving.

We first toured the main exhibition hall on the left side of the venue where UAM was showcased. Entry to the hall was limited to 100 people for COVID-19 prevention, and QR code checks were used upon entry and exit to manage the number of people inside. The exhibition also operated docent programs every 15 minutes for groups of 6 to 8 people, allowing visitors to systematically explore while listening to explanations.

2021 Seoul Mobility Expo event venue view.

After passing through the 'Intro' section summarizing various projects and exhibition contents aimed at solving Seoul's traffic problems, visitors could immediately enter the UAM zone. The venue offered a virtual reality (VR)-based Urban Air Mobility (UAM) boarding experience.

To experience UAM firsthand, I first stood in front of the 'Boarding Reservation & Ticketing' display. Turning on my phone camera and focusing on the QR code on the screen led me to SKT T map Mobility's 'T map UAM' website, where I easily completed the reservation by selecting departure, destination, and boarding time according to the instructions. The reservation method was almost identical to booking airline tickets online and issuing boarding passes at the airport. Additionally, the estimated travel times were shown: it would take 1 hour and 15 minutes by subway and 54 minutes by taxi from Mapo to COEX, whereas UAM was predicted to take only 10 minutes.

After completing the ticketing for COEX, I moved to the boarding gate set up nearby. Once the reservation was complete, identity verification was done through pre-registered facial recognition, allowing immediate access to the boarding area. The facial recognition system extracts feature data from parts such as the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and chin, comparing them with stored data for authentication. Compared to other biometric methods like vein or iris recognition, this method is less costly and has lower risks of duplication or loss, offering excellent security.

Inside the boarding area, a four-seat simulator was available. Sitting down, fastening the seatbelt, and wearing a VR device allowed me to watch a roughly three-minute UAM VR video produced by SKT. However, since the experience was conducted while seated in a regular chair without motion-based attractions, the lack of vibration and noise somewhat reduced immersion. Nonetheless, it was sufficient to gauge the boarding and flight process when UAM becomes commercialized, including vertical takeoff and landing and flying over Seoul along the Han River.

Visitors experiencing VR-based UAM.

Outside the boarding area, one-third scale models of Hanwha Systems' UAM 'Butterfly' and Hyundai Motor's 'S-A1' were also on display. The Butterfly is equipped with four tilt-rotors at the front and rear. The tilt-rotor system operates the propellers vertically during takeoff and landing and horizontally during flight. Even if one rotor fails, the remaining three can maintain safe flight.

A Hanwha Systems representative explained, "The tilt-rotor system has relatively large rotors, allowing stable operation even at low revolutions per minute (RPM). Operating at low RPM also means less noise and enables high-efficiency operation." The Butterfly is scheduled for development completion in 2024, pilot service in 2025, and aims for commercialization around 2030.

Meanwhile, an overview of KT's development of the 'Low Altitude Unmanned Traffic Management System (UTM)' was also available. UTM is an integrated control platform providing flight approval, flight paths, and collision warnings for urban air transport and UAM operating in low-altitude airspace.

Exhibition view of the 2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo theme pavilion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.