Ever dream of owning a helicopter and flying it? Some of us have, but those things are expensive like crazy, and you need to go through massive paperwork to be able to fly it.
A company called EHang might change this forever. It is a Chinese company that showcased a drone capable of carrying a person, and now it has received approval to test it in Nevada.
The best part of this new drone is that it does not have to be piloted by its passenger. Instead, it is an autonomous drone, and the passenger just selects the destination and monitors the flight.
The EHang 184 can carry a single passenger for a flight of 23 minutes at a speed of 60 mph (96 km/h). Do not take these specs for granted, as the aerial vehicle is just a prototype that must be developed to become an FAA licensed craft.
The contraption weighs 440 pounds, the equivalent of 200 kilograms, and comes with eight propellers fitted on four arms. Just like a conventional helicopter, this vehicle can take off and land vertically, thus not requiring a runway. The recharging process only takes two hours for a fast charge device, or four hours with a trickle charge system, Ars Technica reports.
The Chinese company has already conducted 100 test flights with a human onboard its current prototype, and they say that the design that was shown at this year's Consumer Electronics Show is nearer to a completed production model than a concept.
The entire flight is controlled with an onboard tablet, and the drone has several fail-safe systems. Its makers say that it could even land with a single functional propeller arm.
The EHang 184 is not just a larger drone, but it even has a full cockpit, complete with air conditioning and a small luggage compartment. The weight limit is 220 pounds, including passenger and luggage. That means 100 kilograms in metric, so start a diet along with your savings plan if you dream of flying a drone that can carry you and a passenger.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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