Chinese company unveils autonomous drone to fly humans at CES
07 Jan 2016
Chinese drone-maker Ehang has developed the 184, a prototype of the first autonomous drone that will fly humans.
The flying machine, which is built on the lines of a helicopter, seats one and after the flier enters the destination, the drone would require only two button presses from the rider - take off and land, that is all that is needed to pilot it.
The 184 (one passenger, eight propellers, four arms), cannot take off just yet due to various regulatory clearances that are needed to fly by drone. However, according to Ehang it was working closely with government agencies on the technology.
The 184 will take off and land vertically (no need for a runway), and is capable of a cruising speed of up to 62 miles per hour. The 184 can rise up to 11,480 feet, and comes with a battery pack that allows it to fly for 23 minutes.
It is also compact; its 18-feet length can be shortened by folding it into a five-foot space, that can be accomodated into a standard parking spot.
However, it cannot be carried though it is considered light at 440 pounds.
The Guangzhou, China-based company's drone can be fully charged in two hours, can carry up to 220 pounds. The cabin fits one person and a small backpack and has air conditioning and also a reading light.
Ehang co-founder and chief financial officer Shang Hsiao said the company hoped to sell the machine for $200,000 to $300,000 beginning this year but acknowledged it occupied a legal ''grey area.''
''The whole world never had something like this before,'' he said, AP reported.
According to chief marketing officer Derrick Xiong, the vehicle had been flown over 100 times at low altitudes in a forested area in Guangzhou, including several times with a person inside.
