By Alex Brown | The Plaid Zebra
A few days before the Ehang 184 hit the internet like a storm, I was having a conversation with a few friends about the insanity of modern innovation and what the future may hold, specifically, in the realm of drones. The conversation quickly turned to the possibility of a drone large enough to transport people, something absolutely plausible but likely belonging to a somewhat distant future. But time moves fast, and two days later, news of the Ehang 184 came rolling into my newsfeed.
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Designed by Ehang Inc., the modestly-named 184 is essentially an autonomous helicopter drone designed for human flight and resembling a larger version of the classic quadcopter drones we’ve all begun to grow accustomed to. At 18 feet long, the drone’s eight propellers operate at 142 horsepower, allowing it to reach potential heights of 11,500 feet and speeds of 62 mph. The 184’s battery requires two hours of charging time for a mere 23-minute flight. The machine is capable of hauling 220 pounds.
At 18 feet long, the drone’s eight propellers operate at 142 horsepower, allowing it to reach potential heights of 11,500 feet and speeds of 62 mph.
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According to Tech Times, Huazhi Hu, the CEO of Ehang, embarked on the project following the death of his two friends, both pilots killed in plane crashes. Naturally, safety is Hu’s first concern when it comes to the 184. Still though, as Tech Times also claims, Ehang is yet to demonstrate the 184 in flight with a passenger, and so far, all the videos of test-runs have been unmanned flights. Though the main promotional video for the 184 appears to have a passenger, with the 184’s tinted windows and camera magic, it’s tough to verify this claim.
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