Shaping the future of mobility: Prof. QU Xiaobo on autonomous driving and emerging paradigms in vertical transportation

On 5 August 2026, Prof. QU Xiaobo, Member of Academia Europaea (Academy of Europe), Changjiang Chair Professor of School of Vehicle and Mobility, Director of Beijing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control for Low-Altitude Heterogeneous Vehicles, Tsinghua University, delivered a PAIR Seminar titled “Future Transport: Autonomy, Verticalization and Cloud Control”.  The seminar attracted 50 onsite participants and more than 14,600 online viewers across various social media platforms.

During the seminar, Prof. Qu highlighted the growing challenges facing urban transportation systems as cities continue to expand.  He noted that existing transport networks are increasingly constrained by the limited flexibility of traditional infrastructure in accommodating dynamic travel demand, resulting in severe congestion during peak periods and underutilisation during off-peak hours.  To address these challenges, he presented a vision for future mobility centred on intelligent vehicle-road-cloud systems, which integrate vehicles, infrastructure and cloud platforms to create a more efficient, flexible and sustainable transportation ecosystem.

A major focus of the seminar was the development potential of demand-responsive microtransit. This emerging transport mode combines the convenience of ride-hailing services with the affordability and sustainability of public transportation.  Leveraging cloud-based scheduling, dynamic route planning and intelligent dispatching algorithms, microtransit systems can respond to real-time travel demand while improving operational efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.  Prof. Qu also shared a successful case study of a microtransit platform implemented in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province. Supported by intelligent scheduling technologies, the platform has expanded service coverage, improved operational efficiency and enhanced the appeal of public transport.

Prof. Qu also introduced his team’s research on System-Physical AI for Transport Autonomy. By integrating artificial intelligence, cloud platforms, digital twins and real-world operational data, the research provides important support for the development of future intelligent transportation systems.  He explained that digital twin technologies can recreate real-world operating scenarios in virtual environments, accelerating the testing and validation of autonomous vehicles, flying vehicles and intelligent transport operations, while improving safety, reliability and deployment efficiency.  He also presented several innovative concepts including modular and platooning-based microtransit systems capable of allocating capacity according to demand, improving passenger transfer experiences and enhancing overall network performance.

Looking ahead, Prof. Qu explored the prospects of urban aerial mobility and low-altitude transportation systems. He noted that, as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles continue to mature, future transport networks may integrate virtual air corridors, cloud-based traffic management systems and intelligent safety-control technologies to enable seamless coordination between ground and air transportation. He also shared the latest developments in flying car technologies and low-altitude transport operations, highlighting their potential to overcome the limitations of existing transportation infrastructure and pave the way for more efficient and flexible modes of mobility.

The seminar concluded with a Q&A session moderated by Prof. Hans WANG Shuaian, Professor in the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies.  Participants engaged in lively discussions with Prof. Qu on topics including autonomous transportation, intelligent mobility services and urban aerial transport, exploring the opportunities and challenges presented by these emerging technologies.