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![]() Don't miss this video: https://youtu.be/Mr1V-r2YxME https://newatlas.com/ehang-taxi-dron...t-tests/53270/ Ehang flying taxi shown lifting passengers into the air for the first time Aircraft Nick Lavars 12 hours ago Crafted from a carbon fiber and epoxy composite with an aluminum alloy frame, the Ehang 184's top speed is listed as 130 km/h (80 mph) View gallery - 11 images Ehang has been a little coy about its taxi drone since bringing a grounded prototype to CES in 2016. While we have been treated to footage of competing aircraft in action, like the Volocopter https://newatlas.com/volocopter-ces-intel/52882/ and Passenger Drone https://newatlas.com/passenger-drone-flying-taxi/51539/ , the folks behind the Chinese company have mostly kept their progress under wraps. Today we've gotten our best look yet at the Ehang 184, with footage for the first time showing it carrying out test flights with people onboard. The autonomous air taxi scene is becoming pretty crowded. Along with the examples mentioned above, Airbus https://newatlas.com/airbus-vtol-vah...-flight/53228/ , Intel https://newatlas.com/joby-aviation-funding/53232/ , Boeing https://newatlas.com/boeing-gofly-co...-flying/51508/ and Bell Helicopter are also pumping money into these futuristic vehicles. The designs vary, but all are essentially built to do the same thing, carry people autonomously across city environments as a way of overcoming pollution, congestion and the other inconveniences that come with traveling mostly along the ground. Crafted from a carbon fiber and epoxy composite with an aluminum alloy frame, the Ehang 184's top speed is listed as 130 km/h (80 mph). Ehang says its aircraft can fly at cruising speed for 25 minutes at a time following a one-hour recharge of its electric motors, and that it can withstand force seven typhoon winds. A prototype of the Ehang taxi drone at CES in 2016 Until now, we've had to take the company's word for it when it comes to these capabilities, but a newly released video shows them being put through their paces. In it we can see a host of passengers climb into the aircraft, including Ehang CEO Huazhi Hu, and Chinese government officials such as deputy mayor of Guangzhou, Wang Dong. The aircraft is shown working in some testing conditions, including heavy fog and what is claimed to be a force seven typhoon. It can also be seen flying at night, climbing to an altitude of 300 m (1,000 ft) and completing a long-range flight of 8.8 km (5.5 mi). The company does say it has covered a distance of 15 km (9.3 mi) previously, in separate testing. "Performing manned test flights enables us to demonstrate the safety and stability of our vehicles," Hu said. "What we're doing isn't an extreme sport, so the safety of each passenger always comes first. Now that we've successfully tested the Ehang 184, I'm really excited to see what the future holds for us in terms of air mobility." Crafted from a carbon fiber and epoxy composite with an aluminum alloy frame, the Ehang 184's... So how far away are we from seeing these things deployed in the real-world? Ehang already has an agreement with the State of Nevada https://newatlas.com/ehang-184-taxi-...testing/43760/ to carry out testing there, and another with Dubai's transport authority https://newatlas.com/dubai-ehang-taxi-drone/47888/ to do the same. But testing and proving the safety of the aircraft is one thing, having the relevant authorities unshackle them for good will be another. "This is a step-by-step process," said Hu. "And at Ehang, we have our own road map. When it comes to the development and application of any transformative technology, first the technological innovation makes an impact, then the relevant policies are created and developed. This goes on to push further development of the industry." Check out the Ehang 184 in action in the video below. https://youtu.be/Mr1V-r2YxME Source: Ehang: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300593516.html Today we've gotten our best look yet at the Ehang 184, with footage for the first... Ehang says its taxi drone can withstand force seven typhoon winds Ehang has been a little coy about its taxi drone since bringing a grounded prototype to... A prototype of the Ehang taxi drone at CES in 2016 View gallery - 11 images ------------------------------------------------------------------ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300593516.html First Test Footage Revealed of EHANG 184 Manned Passenger Drone News provided by EHang Holdings Limited Feb 05, 2018, 12:41 ET GUANGZHOU, China, Feb. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EHANG, a global leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies, has unveiled footage of the latest test flights of their self-flying passenger aircraft or Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV). The EHANG 184 series is the world's first passenger drone capable of carrying a single person at up to 130 km/h and in force 7 typhoon conditions. These manned test flights are just the latest in a series of tests to ensure that the EHANG 184 AAV will be safe and ready for public use in the near future. EHANG 184 AAV Manned Flight Test by EHANG CEO Mr. Hu Huazhi EHANG 184 AAV Manned Flight Test by EHANG CEO Mr. Hu Huazhi Among the 40 or so passengers who helped in this crucial testing phase were WANG Dong, deputy mayor of Guangzhou, and EHANG founder and CEO, Huazhi Hu. "Performing manned test flights enables us to demonstrate the safety and stability of our vehicles," Hu said. "What we're doing isn't an extreme sport, so the safety of each passenger always comes first. Now that we've successfully tested the EHANG 184, I'm really excited to see what the future holds for us in terms of air mobility." Hu founded EHANG in 2014 and since then more than 150 technical engineers have conducted thousands of test flights, including a vertical climbing test reaching up to 300 m, a loaded test flight carrying approximately 230 kg, a routed test flight covering 15 km, and a high-speed cruising test that reached 130 km/h. "We've been developing and testing aerial vehicle technology for some time now, and we're finally at the test flight stage for the AAV. It's been a huge success," said Hu. Despite this success, the EHANG 184 AAV will still see further improvements. More emphasis will be placed on improving passenger experience and on adding an optional manual control, giving passengers with piloting experience the choice to operate the vehicle manually. In addition, the company has already developed and tested a 2-seat AAV with a payload of up to 280 kg. But when will these passenger drones be ready available for public use? "This is a step-by-step process," commented Hu, "and at EHANG, we have our own road map. When it comes to the development and application of any transformative technology, first the technological innovation makes an impact, then the relevant policies are created and developed. This goes on to push further development of the industry." In 2017, EHANG was granted the AS9100C certification, a quality management system widely adopted and standardized by international aerospace industry, and its AAV obtained the Special Flight Permit for civil aerial vehicles issued by CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China). In addition, EHANG is working closely with CAAC to jointly establish relevant airworthiness standards for the transformative AAVs as a major industry representative of the CAAC UAV Technical Experts Committee, making for improved and systematic industry polices and standards and pushing forward industry development. [Video] EHANG 184 AAV Manned Flight Tests https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr1V-r2YxME&t=5s ---END--- About EHANG Founded in 2014 in Guangzhou, EHANG is a high-tech company that develops, manufactures and sells intelligent UAVs and provides related services. Driven by its continuous technology and product innovation, "AI + network" methodology and its "user experience comes first" philosophy, EHANG provides both consumer-level and commercial end-users with simple, smart and efficient aerial products and solutions. EHANG is a pioneer and leading advocate of the global civilian UAV industry having created multiple innovative ideas, such as smart software-based control, smartphone tilt control, autonomous UAV formation flight technology, 3D air mobility and more. Dedicated to giving people the chance to fly, EHANG has developed a wide range of aerial products, including the EHANG 184 autonomous aerial vehicle, a command & control center for smart UAVs, EHANG Egret UAV formation flight technology, the EHANG Falcon commercial UAV, and the GHOSTDRONE series consumer UAV. For more details, please go to www.ehang.com. SOURCE EHang Holdings Limited --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ehang.com/ http://www.ehang.com/ehang184/ Specifications: http://www.ehang.com/ehang184/specs/ ================================================== ================== https://newatlas.com/airspacex-mobi-one-detroit/52985/ AirSpaceX's autonomous, electric air taxi lands in Detroit Aircraft David Szondy David Szondy January 15th, 2018 16 pictures Mobi-One is designed to ease traffic congestion and speed up urban commutes Mobi-One is designed to ease traffic congestion and speed up urban commutes(Credit: AirSpaceX) View gallery - 16 images Airspace Experience Technologies, LLC (AirSpaceX) has given a preview of its vision for the future of air taxi services at this year's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The company unveiled a sub-scale model of its vertical take off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, Mobi-One, an autonomous, tilt-wing electric aircraft designed to carry both passengers and cargo at speeds of up to 250 mph (400 km/h). A scale version of Mobi-One Mobi-One with wings tilted for takeoff or landing Mobi-One in horizontal flight mode Mobi-One is powered by four electric motors According to AirSpaceX, US$300 billion dollars in fuel and productivity costs a year are wasted in traffic jams and other delays in the United States alone. Additionally, urban drivers spend 42 hours stuck in traffic each year, while pumping 38 billion pounds (17 billion kg) of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Designed and built by AirSpaceX parent compant Detroit Aircraft Corporation (DAC) at Detroit City Airport, Mobi-One is targeted at the point-to-point commuter market as a clean, quiet alternative to road transport that relies on "lean automotive design and mass production techniques" to be affordable to produce. Mobi-One uses four wing-mounted electric motors that the maker claims makes the aircraft quieter than a helicopter. It's designed to carry two to four passengers or payloads of over 200 kg (440 lb) at a cruising speed of 150 mph (241 km/h) over a range of 65 mi (104 km). A scale version of Mobi-One Along with its pilot assisted/autonomous flight avionics, it also has broadband connectivity for high speed internet access, V2X collision avoidance, and safety messaging. Aside from passenger and cargo services, it can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation; tactical Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); and research flights. The Mobi-One was developed in cooperation with Camilo Pardo, who was the chief designer of the 2005 and 2006 Ford GT. Completion of the aircraft's engineering packages are still the primary focus, but the hope is that a full-scale version of the craft will soon be available for US FAA certification. "Our goal is to deploy 2,500 aircraft at the nation's 50 largest cities by 2026, targeting existing infrastructure at first," says JP Yorro, Chief Commercial Officer at AirSpaceX. "The MOBi development program will be capital intensive, but air Mobility as a Service could generate billions for the economy. We are considering a broad array of financing options, including potential fractional ownership interest and profit sharing models." Source: AirSpaceX http://airspacex.com/ Mobi-One has an autonomous flight system Mobi-One is designed to carry up to four passengers AirSpaceX shows off its Mobi-One model at the North American International Auto Show AirSpaceX shows off its Mobi-One model at the North American International Auto Show View gallery - 16 image |
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