Chinese drone maker EHang has introduced the world’s first electric, personal Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV)which can carry a passenger.
The self driving vehicle will be capable of automatically carrying a passenger through the air.
The passenger has to just enter a destination into the smartphone app connected to the drone to take a flight.
The 1.5m AAV weighs 200 kilograms and can carry a load of 100 kilograms. Powered by eight propellers, and four ‘arms’, the drone can fly for 23 minutes at sea level at an average cruising speed of 100 km/h.
Unlike other self driving vehicles like cars, the passenger need not have a pilot’s license to board the drone, as it is capable of automatically navigating through the air using EHang‘s 24/7 real-time flight command centre.
EHang expects the AAV to be helpful in the areas of shipping, medical care and retail.
According to EHang, the drone is designed to eliminate the dangerous part of standard modes of transportation.
The EHang 184 has multiple backups which will take over in case of component failure, and its Fail-Safe System allows the aircraft to take the necessary precautions to ensure safety in case of a system failure.
The drone will also be able to automatically evaluate the damage to figure out whether the AAV will need to land to ensure its passenger’s safety.
It will also have a one click option that will let passengers halt the flight and simply hover in the air in case of an emergency.
Eang CEO Huazhi Hu said: "It’s been a lifetime goal of mine to make flight faster, easier and more convenient than ever. The 184 provides a viable solution to the many challenges the transportation industry faces in a safe and energy efficient way.
"The 184 is evocative of a future we’ve always dreamed of and is primed to alter the very fundamentals of the way we get around."
