Flying Whales and small AI-controlled airships
Québec intends to invest at least CAD 30 million (EUR 20 million) in the Flying Whales airship project in southwestern France and in a new local subsidiary, Les dirigibles Flying Whales Québec. The plan to invest public funds to open up remote areas of the Canadian province to the logistics industry is however facing some opposition from the taxpayers.
The Finnish company Kelluu designs smaller, but, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, “smarter” airships which can collect and process data in a more flexible and more eco-friendly way than drones. Founder Jouni Lintu demonstrates that an airship uses 99% less energy for such tasks than a helicopter. And this only involves flying, excluding the multiple amounts of energy and materials required in the building of a helicopter compared to an airship weighing only a few hundred grams. (ah)