LAS VEGAS (AP) — Chinese drone maker Ehang Inc. on Wednesday unveiled what it calls the world's first drone capable of carrying a human passenger.
The Guangzhou, China-based company pulled the cloth off the Ehang 184 at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the CES gadget show. In a company video showing it flying, it looks like a small helicopter but with four doubled propellers spinning parallel to the ground like other drones.
The electric-powered drone can be fully charged in two hours, carry up to 220 pounds and fly for 23 minutes at sea level, according to Ehang. The cabin fits one person and a small backpack and even has air conditioning and a reading light. With propellers folded up, it's designed to fit in a single parking spot.
I wonder if it uses PixHawk? Comments?
Comments
Fixed pitch large props will make control "interesting", and no range extender generator.
CES had other interesting news like Walkera teaming up with a methanol fuel cell maker to make a range extender generator.
GenSmart
A small pipedream is a diesel range extender based on a RamGen supersonic rotary ramjet turbine. The following paper describes a shockwave ignited premix air stream (carburator) style engine that might be good base design, provided you had matched counterrotating pairs to null the torque from such high rotation speeds.
AIAA 2006-4169 Inside-out Rotary Ramjet Turbogenerator
For those in the US, remember the FAA motto ... "Only the finest in 20th century aviation".
If it didn't exist in 1980 then they will do their best to make sure it doesn't exist now.
Sure it's mostly a PR stunt, but craft like it are coming soon. Just not in the aviation backwaters of the US.
So I watched their video and still didn't see it actually fly? WTF? Totally the Lily on steroids. So tired of the hype.
Just got technical specifications from Ehang CEO
rated weight 100 kg
total energy consumption 14.4 kWh
charging time 2 up to 4 hours
average speed 100 km/h
net weight 200 kg
maximum rated power 106kw (8 motor)
hover time 23 min
You need to be a member of DIY Drones to fly Ehang 184
Ehang can raise B$1 within one year and 10,000 preorders
I plan to offer Ehang my Pizza Delivery Drone, Mind Controlled Drone by Hybrid Drone Factory ;)
Really cool but... does it make sense to use a multi rotor config at this size (vs single rotor / heli)?
I am not even referring to efficiency, where a single rotor is obviously superior.
Their main argument is safety, but is it really safer? While the fixed pitch rotor is mechanically simpler than the cyclic, there are eight of them, and they require a Gyro/Accelerometer/Magnetometer/FC stabilization at all times to fly and even with redundancy we know these electronics might fail at some point, and then there is no backup as one can't pilot multirotors manually (we need the gyros and FC at least).
A 700 size RC heli can cut a person in half, while a similar size multirotor can't, making multirotors much safer up to 10kg or so. But at the size of this E-184, each rotor is lethal anyway...
So how is this config safer than a heli?
The TF-X by Terrafugia (concept at this point), is the hybrid electric pusher. A much more practical vehicle.
http://www.terrafugia.com
Forget these stupid small drones if you can afford real manned drone for personal use ;)
How to build one Ehang 184 in garage from used parts ?
Do hope to get some support from Ehang CEO
Nice. But how heavy can the person be? 50kg? And how far can you get in 23 minutes? 30km? Make it a hybrid fuel/electric with pusher and I'd be interested. Both propulsion and energy source still need to be improved IMHO. Not using a pilot will see this project stay R&D only. :-(
No manual control, no fun. What about drone racing with it?
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