His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, praised the efforts of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in carrying out a series of transportation projects using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan also commended the RTA’s initiatives aimed at facilitating the mobility of public transport riders to their final destinations.
The Crown Prince of Dubai made these remarks during a visit to the Metro Depot at Al Rashidiya, where His Highness received by Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan inspected two models of Dubai Sky pods – a futuristic mobility system in the Dubai Emirate. Characterised by using an area of land that is 100 times less than conventional means of the same capacity, the pods’ power efficiency is five times less than electric vehicles and the system requires infrastructure, which is ten times less than conventional transit systems of the same capacity.
#Dubai Crown Prince @HamdanMohammed inspects @RTA_Dubai’s autonomous mobility and AI projects during a visit to Metro Depot at Al Rashidiya. H.H. praised the efforts of @RTA_Dubai in shaping the future of mobility. pic.twitter.com/zPwPp9IsfH
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) December 4, 2018
Dubai sky pod
The first model of the Dubai Sky pod units is the Unibike. It is a small and lightweight transit mean fitted with steel wheels to move on suspended rails. Each unit can accommodate one to five riders along with individual transport design. It can travel at a maximum speed of 150 km/h and carry about 20,000 riders per hour.
.@HamdanMohammed inspects two models of Dubai Sky pods; a futuristic mobility system in the Emirates. The Sky pods is power efficient and requires far less infrastructure than conventional transit systems of the same capacity. #Dubai pic.twitter.com/bDI2q8GkJc
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) December 4, 2018
The second model is the Unicar. It is designed to carry passengers for a distance up to 200 kilometres. These units have a stylish design and conform to Dubai’s global standards. The unit can accommodate one to six riders and travel at a maximum speed of 150 km/h. The network can transport about 50,000 riders per hour.
New Dubai Metro trains
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan also inspected the new train of the Dubai Metro which has recently arrived and is being tested at the depot. He checked the additions and improvements made to the interior of the metro carriages such as dedicating the last carriage to women and children and leaving part of the first carriage for the Gold Class. Other carriages were designated as Silver Class.
The Dubai Crown Prince also inspected the world’s latest rail maintenance system. A Grinding Machine automatically restores worn tracks, and realigns the rail tracks with the train wheels, thus eliminates the risk of rails breaking.
.@HamdanMohammed inspects the new train of the Dubai Metro which has recently arrived and is being tested at the Depot; H.H. also inspects the world’s latest rail maintenance system. #Dubai pic.twitter.com/KrFTbmebJx
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) December 4, 2018
Convertible limo and Dubai Taxi limo bike
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan inspected the Range Rover Evoque convertible limo and the Dubai Taxi limo bike. The convertible limo offers a unique mobility experience resembling the luxurious character of Dubai. The Limo Bike offers riders and tourists an exceptional mobility experience, especially in winter, besides being a practical solution during peak hours at high-population-density areas.
.@RTA_Dubai is set to introduce new unique mobility experiences in #Dubai with Range Rover Evoque convertible limo and the Dubai Taxi limo bike. pic.twitter.com/gR9BaXqUi1
— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) December 4, 2018
His Highness also inspected the Mobile Command Vehicle in support of roads and transport-related emergency and crises. The vehicle is fitted with cutting-edge technologies such as wireless connection with the Enterprise Command and Control Centre, EC3, and satellite connectivity enabling direct transmission to the Centre from the site.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan was also briefed on RTA’s AI experience highlighted by Dubai Metro, the world’s longest driverless metro. The use of AI in the Dubai Metro fully automated operation covers automated journey planning, lines signalling system to enhance security, and risk prevention, such as the collision, while enabling trains to travel at maximum speed. This system has reduced operational costs by seven percent and improved punctuality by 6.4 percent.
The Crown Prince attended a presentation highlighting RTA’s efforts in operating the autonomous air taxi which was tentatively run in 2017. The technical specifications are currently being set after finishing the assessment of air taxi manufacturers.
