Having appeared relatively recently, quadrocopters have rapidly evolved to passenger traffic. On February 13, as part of the World Government Summit-2017 in Dubai, the Emirate's Road Transport Authority (RTA) introduced a new form of urban transport - unmanned aerial taxi. A quadcopter manufactured by the Chinese company Ehang is able to take one passenger weighing up to 100 kg, lift it to a height of 500 m and deliver it at a speed of 60 km / h along the route specified in the application to the smartphone. It is enough for the passenger to sit in a chair in an air-conditioned cabin, buckle up and press the start button on a 12-inch touchscreen.
Autopilot will do the rest. The Ehang 184 is controlled remotely via an encrypted communication channel - even with a strong desire to “hack” the flight will fail. In case of emergency, it is possible to switch to manual piloting - for this, experienced pilots will be on duty around the clock in the city’s flight control center. Eight electric motors on four folding pylons, working in pairs in antiphase, develop power up to 152 kW and provide optimally smooth take-off and landing. The battery allows the quadcopter to stay in the air for 23 minutes, which should be enough for any intracity route - there are no traffic jams in the air. Battery charging time - from two to four hours. At the presentation of the new product, RTA CEO and Chairman of the Board Mattar al Thayer noted that the operation of the Ehang 184 drones in Dubai could begin in July 2017.
Ehang 184 debuted at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January 2016. Over the year, the manufacturer managed to prepare and certify its passenger drone for commercial use. “This was the goal of my life - to make flights easier and more accessible,” said Ehang CEO Huazhi Hu. “The 184th solves a whole range of problems that arise along the path of the transport industry, while using safe, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. I believe that "Our development will have a radical impact on many other industries outside of personal transportation. Ehang 184 embodies the future that we all dreamed about and is able to turn our minds about vehicles."
