Drones and autonomous vehicles are on the way to Texas.
Make way for drones, electric cars and autonomous trucks. The seemingly futuristic transportation technologies are close to transforming the way people and cargo travel, some of the world’s biggest names in business and politics were told Thursday at a high-powered gathering at the Perot family’s Circle T Ranch.
At Thursday’s UP.Summit, hundreds of investors came to hear from leading experts in aviation, transportation and defense about the latest innovations that could significantly change the way people and goods move.
“We want to stay on top of the new technology,” said Ross Perot Jr., who leads one of the country’s largest independent property portfolios. “We want to attract the greatest entrepreneurs.”
The gathering featured major international power players such as former President George W. Bush, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and former U.S. Secretary of State and Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson.
Perot said artificial intelligence could help with “deconfliction” in the airfield and manage safety in the air. He also said artificial intelligence can help improve battery efficiency.
First, however, he said self-driving trucks will come, especially in the wake of a truck driver shortage and amid testing already happening on Texas roads.
“Air taxis [have] a human pilot and that [change] will happen quick,” Perot said. “Air taxis with no pilot, our FAA will take their time, because safety is paramount for our FAA.”
This week, at DFW International Airport’s State of the Airport luncheon, CEO Sean Donohue told attendees that the second-busiest airport in the world will offer a fully automated passenger experience with urban air mobility, like electric air taxis, by the 2040s.
Another key part of automation in transportation is the popularity of drones.
Perot, whose Hillwood company runs Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, remains hopeful for the future, and it’s a future where transportation and artificial intelligence work together.
“At this event, you will have the next Steve Jobs in the room with an idea, or the next Elon [Musk] or the next Jeff Bezos,” Perot said. “We want that entrepreneur to know about Texas, to know about Fort Worth, to know about Alliance. If they grow their business, we want them to grow with us.”
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