Several days after Toyota unveiled its 2016 Prius, the automaker is once again making its way into the limelight after a patent application filed in the U.S. Patent Office was discovered last week.
The patent, which was first submitted in March 2014, identifies an "aerocar" capable of flying based on stackable wings. Toyota's proposal, which is currently identified as patent application 20150246720, includes a schematic that details a wing construction that is able to morph and extend upward from the roof. More details of the patent can be accessed through this link.
Toyota indicated plans to build a flying car in June 2014. The confirmed statement points to an "investigation" rather than development of a technology that would get the car a little bit away from the road to reduce friction, said Hiroyoshi Yoshiki, managing officer at Toyota's technical administration group.
If this what Toyota is aiming for, the technology could resemble a hovercraft. The company, however, has not confirmed how serious it is in building the aerocar, NBC News reported.
The patent application, however, provide fresh insights as to how Toyota intends to build its aerocar. It is not a radical departure from the automobile it is currently making except for its capability to fly. What is not clear in the schematics, however, is how the vehicle will move since the application did not mention a technology that would propel it forward.
If the Toyota aerocar is finally built, it will not be the world's first working flying car. There are already working prototypes, such as the Terrafugia TF-X (see video above), as HNGN previously reported.
