Category: Videos
First Flight: Chinese eVTOL Company Ehang’s Autonomous Air Vehicle
27 February 2018 || 1 min read Ghuangzhou-based eVTOL firm Ehang recently conducted first flight testing of its Ehang 184 aircraft and released footage of government officials and passengers being flown autonomously in the 2 seat AAV. The drone’s simplistic flight operation procedures are being touted as a vital asset to the future sales success of Ehang. For instance, a...

First Flight: Chinese eVTOL Company Ehang’s Autonomous Air Vehicle

27 February 2018 || 1 min read
Ghuangzhou-based eVTOL firm Ehang recently conducted first flight testing of its Ehang 184 aircraft and released footage of government officials and passengers being flown autonomously in the 2 seat AAV. The drone’s simplistic flight operation procedures are being touted as a vital asset to the future sales success of Ehang. For instance, a passenger need only input their desired destination, tap “Go” and sit back as the aircraft autonomously pilots itself to the arrival point. Testing of the Ehang 184 has even been conducted in typhoon conditions to satisfactory results.
Related Links:
- South China Morning Post Article: http://www.scmp.com/tech/china-tech/article/2133996/flying-taxis-uber-has-competitor-chinese-drone-maker-ehang
Watch: MIT’s Drones That Fly and Drive
MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab demonstrated its prototype for an urban transportation network using drones that switch between driving and flying to maximize battery life, speed, and efficiency. The demo had a scaled-down model of a city block with eight quadcopter drones seamlessly navigating from one point to another. MIT imagines a full network can theoretically work with...

Watch: MIT’s Drones That Fly and Drive

MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab demonstrated its prototype for an urban transportation network using drones that switch between driving and flying to maximize battery life, speed, and efficiency. The demo had a scaled-down model of a city block with eight quadcopter drones seamlessly navigating from one point to another. MIT imagines a full network can theoretically work with 80 vehicles. The drones draw inspiration from animals, which transition from low-energy walking to agile flight to avoid obstacles and predators.
Related Links:
- TechCrunch Article: https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/26/mits-new-drones-switch-between-flying-and-driving-for-optimal-urban-transport/?ncid=mobilenavtrend
- ScienceDaily Article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170626124344.htm
- Wired Article: https://www.wired.com/story/mit-drones-flying-cars/
- CNET Article: https://www.cnet.com/news/mit-wheeled-flying-driving-drones-cars-robots/
PAL-V Expected to Deliver First Flying Car by 2018 Year-End
PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) expects to deliver its first three-wheeled gyrocopter vehicle by the end of 2018. The PAL-V Liberty seats two and is certified to be used on the road with a driving license or lift off from an airfield with a pilot’s license. The company plans to sell to the US, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Japan, and China;...

PAL-V Expected to Deliver First Flying Car by 2018 Year-End

PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) expects to deliver its first three-wheeled gyrocopter vehicle by the end of 2018. The PAL-V Liberty seats two and is certified to be used on the road with a driving license or lift off from an airfield with a pilot’s license. The company plans to sell to the US, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Japan, and China; interested buyers can put down a deposit now to claim their own.
Vehicle Details
- Max Altitude: 11,500 ft
- Range: 250-300 miles
- Max Ground Speed: 105 mph
- Price: $599,000
Related Links:
- Phys.org Article: https://phys.org/news/2017-06-dutch-firm-aims-car.html
Flying Taxis to Begin Trials in Dubai Q4 2017
Volocopter has made an agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to test their VC200 flying taxi beginning in Q4 2017. Trials are expected to last five years. The VC200 is an e-VTOL that seats a pilot and passenger. The RTA is also planning to test flying taxi services from Ehang and Uber Elevate. Vehicle Details Max Speed: 62...

Flying Taxis to Begin Trials in Dubai Q4 2017

Volocopter has made an agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to test their VC200 flying taxi beginning in Q4 2017. Trials are expected to last five years. The VC200 is an e-VTOL that seats a pilot and passenger. The RTA is also planning to test flying taxi services from Ehang and Uber Elevate.
Vehicle Details
- Max Speed: 62 mph
- Max Air Time: 27 minutes
Related Links:
- International Business Times Article: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/flying-drone-taxi-service-begin-dubai-trial-this-year-1627035
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