Chinese drone maker Ehang on Wednesday, Jan. 6, revealed the world's first drone that can carry one passenger. The drone might help achieve the long-term dream of automated short-to-medium distance daily flights.
According to the Global Times, the electrically powered Ehang 184 revealed during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas carries one person weighing up to 100kg for a flight at sea level speed of 100km/h.
After putting a flight schedule in place, passengers only have to send two commands: "take off" and "land." The commands are controlled by a single click on a tablet. In addition, the drone does not require a runway because it can take off and land vertically.
A statement from the Guangzhou-based corporation read: "Due to the 184's fully automated navigation, made possible by Ehang's 24/7, real-time flight command center, passengers have no need for a pilot's license--they simply sit back and let the drone take over from there."
The discovery of this automated flight shows a major turning point not just for the transportation industry, but also for a big swath of other fields like shipping, retail and medical care.
With regard to safety, the developer company pointed out that the drone has in-built fortifications for all flight systems, so that in case one component fails, backups can spontaneously take over.
In the event the flight is damaged by, for instance, a bird, the drone will automatically establish whether to land to assure passenger safety. During an emergency, passengers can as well decide to halt the flight and simply maneuver in the air with just a single click.
Although the drone can fly during thunderstorms and other extreme weather conditions, its real-time flight command center can prohibit it from taking off as a precaution.
Talking to Xinhua, Ehang co-founder and chief marketing officer Derrick Xiong said that his company plans selling the drone later this year for $200,000-300,000 per unit. However, Xiong admitted that the drone initially might be used in specific regions such as tourist areas.
Xiong added: "But in the end, we hope people can use it as a means of transport for short-to-medium-distance travel."
Currently, there are no policies that govern such products because they represent a whole new category of technology.