The presentation of the Vertimove project combined with the meeting of the partners of the Center of City of the Future (CCF) took place in the CCF CTU premises on November 28, 2023. Architect Michal Postránecký presented here the Vertimove project, i.e. a new concept of unmanned aerial „taxis“ with a vertical launch and electric drive. The project also included the development of a methodology called „Requirements for planning, location and implementation of vertiports for UAM (Urban Air Mobility)“, which was approved on the same day by the guarantee partner, which was the Ministry of Transport. And thanks to his expertise and experience, the director of the Center of City of the Future devoted himself to this part. Michal Postránecký also collaborated on the Vertimove project with experts from VZLÚ (Czech aerospace research centre), CDV (Transport Research Center) and 1to1 Design.
Michal Postránecký focused on the future of UAM (Urban Air Mobility) and the ground infrastructure for this type of mobility – i.e. on different types of vertiports (new structures in cities) and their potential network within the Czech Republic. The main point of the presentation was the presentation of the „VertiHUB Praha Hlavák“ study, the largest type of covered vertiport located above the tracks of the Main Railway Station in Prague, designed by architect Michal Postránecký. The project was already officially presented in virtual reality to the professional public and the guarantee partner at the premises of the Virtuplex company, where it was possible to walk on a one-to-one scale on the airport area in the aircraft and passenger check-in area, as well as around the entire station with a vertiport.
„Many of our predecessors dreamed of traveling by air in an affordable means of transport as a regular part of urban passenger transport decades ago. Flying in VTOL vehicles (vertical take-off and landing, i.e. with vertical take-off and landing, note ed.), whether within large cities or within suburban and intercity transport, will become a reality in the near future. The children of those who will already „tomorrow“ decide on the implementation of this type of transport and the construction of land infrastructure in cities will consider this way of traveling as a normal part of their lives. Just like their parents, they use smart mobile phones that they saw in Bond movies twenty years ago,“ said Michal Postránecký at the presentation of the project, adding: „That’s why we need to start preparing space for them in the city systems now, into which we will incorporate the basic ground infrastructure for air travel VTOL, and then we will put everything in the spatial plans.“
In order to place the vertiport in a suitable location, which would functionally and logistically connect to its surroundings, it will be necessary to fulfill many conditions, which, in addition to the spatial plan and other regulatory conditions for the location of the building, such as its volume and appearance, would also guarantee the economic return of such an investment.
For these reasons, it is first necessary to define the types of these urban structures, including their background and their individual and functional units. For this, it is also necessary to know the types of processes and actions that take place on the side of the client and on the side of the vertiport service provider, and to examine in detail the mutual interaction between the client and the operator, including communication interfaces.
Within these new structures, many robots will find use, and artificial intelligence will certainly be widely used, especially in autonomously controlled processes. It is a new space for applying the knowledge of scientists and experts from CIIRC and other parts of CTU.
The planned location of Vertiport VertiHUB Praha Hlavák should be above the train track and the platform towards Žižkov, along the metal structure of the historic roof. The entire vertiport will be two-storey and connected to Žižkov by transport. It will be connected vertically directly to the corridor under the track, which will enable passengers to connect directly with the train station’s check-in hall and other modes of transport, i.e. the subway and the planned tram. The lower floor of the vertiport is used for client check-in, the upper floor is intended for the direct boarding and exit of passengers to the VTOL means of transport.
VTOL-type aircraft from various manufacturers should carry an average of about four passengers in the future, in the era of unmanned operation. The proposed type of vertiport is, depending on the smoothness of passenger and aircraft check-in (including technical inspection and battery replenishment), approximately 40 aircraft per hour, with the possibility of a maximum increase to 60 take-offs. The expected capacity of the airport will be at the level of 3,000 or more passengers per day. Additional cargo flights (eg for courier companies) are also expected.
„The development of this type of transport will be proportionately dependent on building a network of vertiports within the Czech Republic with links to neighboring states. The expected range of the (e)VTOL aircraft MiYa, developed by VZLÚ, is 300 km per charge with a reserve. This parameter can understandably increase in the next ten years. With a traveling speed of around 300 km per hour, this type of transport is suitable for supplementing the existing railway and highway network and will enable very fast connections to attractive places not only in the Czech Republic, but also to towns and localities near our neighbors,“ added Michal Postránecký.
More information about the Vertimove project will soon be available on the website ccflab.com and on the upcoming website flytaxi.city, which will be dedicated to the development of UAM and the VertiHUB Prague Hlavák project and other vertiports in the Czech Republic.
Project CK03000139, financed by the agency T.A.Č.R. from the Transport 2020+ Program.
The article was prepared by arch. Michal Postránecký.
Vizualization of „VertiHub Praha Hlavák“:
Photos from meeting CCF partners:
