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Thursday 9 June 2016

This drone can carry a person like a mini-helicopter

This drone can carry a person like a mini-helicopter — and it'll hit the sky later this year:



A prototype of Ehang's human-carrying drone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.


The first passenger-carrying drone will hit the sky soon.
The Ehang 184, an automated drone built in China that can carry one passenger for a 23-minute flight, was one of the most-buzzed about prototypes at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
And now, Ehang will take test flights in Nevada, thanks to a partnership with Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS), a nonprofit sponsored by the state's Office of Economic Development.
The Nevada tests will begin later this year. It's unclear whether humans fly in these Nevada tests, and Ehang did not immediately respond to Tech Insider's request for comment.
NIAS will also work with Ehang to help it secure approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is essential before Ehang can even get close to hitting the market.



The drone can fly for 23 minutes at speeds of 62 miles per hour. Passengers input their destination, and the drone uses Google Maps to fly there.

The 184 is equipped with sensors to avoid obstacles, but there's no way for passengers to take over the drone should something happen during flight. This has raised some questions about just how safe the drone is.
But Ehang told CNN in January that the drone will have programs that automatically land the drone in case of an emergency and an on-the-ground command center staffed with humans to provide back-up.
Should Ehang make it to market, it's estimated the drone will cost between $200,000 to $300,000.

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