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[Ether_Snake]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/08/worlds-first-passenger-drone-testing-ehang-nevada

Video at the link

The world’s first passenger drone capable of autonomously carrying a person in the air for 23 minutes has been given clearance for testing in Nevada.

Chinese firm Ehang, which unveiled the electric Ehang 184 passenger drone at CES in Las Vegas in January, has partnered with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (Goed) to put the drone through testing and regulatory approval.

Tom Wilczek, Goed’s aerospace and defence specialist said: “The State of Nevada, through NIAS, will help guide Ehang through the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) regulatory process with the ultimate goal of achieving safe flight.”

The founder and chief executive of Ehang, Huazhi Hu, said the move would lay the foundation for the 184’s commercialisation and kickstart the autonomous aerial transportation industry.

Ehang hopes to begin testing later this year and will have to prove airworthiness to the FAA, with guidance from NIAS, before being able to operate in a wider capacity. Over the past five years, Nevada has been positioning itself as a test bed for advanced transport solutions, being one of the first states in the US to permit the testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads.

 

[Pestilence11]

Too many things to go wrong without my feet on the ground. Maybe in 5 to 10 years. I love traditional flying though.

 

[Hasemo]

I love the design, but I doubt that they'll ever let everyone just use those freely even if they pass all the tests.

 

[Trouble]

That's really cool.


Oh, would I ride in one?

 

[Septimus Prime]

I love the design, but I doubt that they'll ever let everyone just use those freely even if they pass all the tests.

I don't see why not. Maybe start with pre-programmed routes first and loosen restrictions over time.

 

[D4Danger]

that's a fancy looking coffin

 

[lastplayed]

Looks like a futuristic lawnmower.

 

[sangreal]

how loud is it?

 

[HStallion]

One day...

 

[Bare Grills]

I'd fly in it

 

[Ri'Orius]

Seems kinda weird that they're making brand-new helicopters for this purpose instead of just making a good autopilot for the ones we already have.

I mean, 23 minutes of airtime isn't all that useful.

 

[JeremyEtcetera]

Soon...

 

[PSqueak]

would it be street legal? like could i ride it barely 2 or 4 feet off the ground as if it was a regular car? Would be perfect given how close i live to my work place, hah.

 

[Slayven]

The FIAA would never let an untrained person in a powered craft fly around populated area.

 

[Suikoguy]

The FIAA would never let an untrained person in a powered craft fly around populated area.

Automated drones may eventually solve that though.

 

[Hasemo]

I don't see why not. Maybe start with pre-programmed routes first and loosen restrictions over time.

I was so excited with the idea of my own flying drone that I missed the part where it said that it's autonomous. So while the license issue is probably gone, you'd still have to authorize the path with someone, if you have multiple things flying in the air at once. Plus it's probably not legal to fly over certain locations etc.

 

[cameron]

No guards on the blades make me uneasy. RIP shins.

 

[NealMcCauley]

Wonder what the weight limit is. Cockpit already looks pretty small.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I was so excited with the idea of my own flying drone that I missed the part where it said that it's autonomous. So while the license issue is probably gone, you'd still have to authorize the path with someone, if you have multiple things flying in the air at once. Plus it's probably not legal to fly over certain locations etc.

Yeah, but I think that's a future problem. In the short run, once they actually get this thing tested, safe, and certified for consumer use, they could just have the company program in very restricted routes and make it more like an aerial train that only travels between certain preset points.

Ideally, in the long run, they would let the user input destinations and get taxied there, like a flying autonomous car.

 

[Stinkles]

Assuming a minimum speed of say, forty miles an hour, this thing would get me, door to door from my house to work in five minutes, versus the ridiculous ~hour in stop and go traffic (across a lake and two bridges) it takes now. Sign me up.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Seems kinda weird that they're making brand-new helicopters for this purpose instead of just making a good autopilot for the ones we already have.

I mean, 23 minutes of airtime isn't all that useful.

23 mins is pretty good in a city, it's all electric, so it can easily go from wherever it is to pick up someone and back. There's no traffic, so you can know exactly how long it will take to get somewhere. Plus you can schedule its arrival in advance, so that it would recharged before you get in.

Obviously the technology is at a very early stage, but eventually it seems like a likely mode of transport, although not for the plebs in the near term. Obviously, from a safety perspective it's a bit scary, but not particularly moreso than an helicopter.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Assuming a minimum speed of say, forty miles an hour, this thing would get me, door to door from my house to work in five minutes, versus the ridiculous ~hour in stop and go traffic (across a lake and two bridges) it takes now. Sign me up.

Give it time. You'll be waiting in a drone line with everyone else soon enough.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

If you have a bad software update with these things (and electric cars) you're fucked.you'd hope that there would be some form of catapult emergency parachute build in.

 

[TAJ]

Assuming a minimum speed of say, forty miles an hour, this thing would get me, door to door from my house to work in five minutes, versus the ridiculous ~hour in stop and go traffic (across a lake and two bridges) it takes now. Sign me up.

http://postimage.org/

 

[Stinkles]

http://postimage.org/

No word of a lie, I saw this exact car broken down on the 520 westbound on the opening day of boating season.

 

[SneakyStephan]

With the blades so close to the ground I forsee a lot of mangled limbs and pets

 

[Ishida]

What could possibly go wrong.