Ehang, a company from Guangzhou, China, launched the Ehang 184 at the CES 2016 on Wednesday, Jan. 6. It is a personal flying vehicle that can transport a person from one place to another at an altitude of over 11,000 feet.
According to PC World, the company said that the Ehang 184's objective is to provide a "short- to medium-distance transportation solution" and is made for "average consumers who may have very little experience with piloting any flying objects."
The Autonomous Aerial Vehicle or AAV has 142-horsepower electric motor which is good for an average cruising speed of 62 miles per hour. It has a span of 18 feet if fully unfolded and weighs 440 pounds. It can carry a passenger weighing up to 264 pounds and has a maximum flying altitude of 11,480 feet. The AAV can fly for as long as 23 minutes above sea level.
The Ehang 184 can be fully controlled through a mobile app. The manufacturer said passengers only have to use two commands: "take off" and "land." Once the course is set, the AAV will take off vertically, and use a real-time sensor data (possibly a GPS) to keep the passenger on track.
"The 184 provides a viable solution to the many challenges the transportation industry faces in a safe and energy efficient way," said EHang Chief Executive Huazhi Hu in a statement. Although it's initially aimed at commuters and adventuresome people, "EHang will make a global impact across dozens of industries beyond personal travel," CNET quoted him as saying.
However, before that happens, Ehang's ambition will have to consider the strict regularity restriction.
"It isn't going to be that you get one under the Christmas tree, take it outside, and go flying. You're still talking about what amounts to a manned aircraft, more like a helicopter than a drone," said Mark Dombroff, an aviation attorney for law firm Dentons, who previously represented the Federal Aviation Administration and Justice Department.
"They're not going to be able to sell this without having some sort of airworthiness certificate, probably experimental," he added.
