Uber, beware: Ehang's autonomous flying taxi even closer to reality

The Ehang 184 UAV debuted at CES 2016, but this year the company has shown test flights, and has an actual plan for getting it's people-moving drones in the air. PCWorld's Gordon Ung has two words for Uber: "Take that!"

[Firedog]

An employee in the control center goes bonkers and plays bumper cars with us in the air lol

[kcop]

Oh please, you know Uber has a hand (or future) in this endeavor.

[AhmedTalib]

مركبة تحتاج سائق ماهر وبنفس الوقت ايكون عنده معلومات عن الصيانه والاعطال واسباب العطل لازم يدرس كل الامور الخاصه بيهه
مايجوز استبدالهه بالسيارات ابنفس الوقت هاي المركبة تخدم المجرمين اذا استبدلت بالسيارة

[paulbarlow]

I was distracted by his hand movements.

[ВладимирДзержинский-цн]

О! Как красиво всё выглядит в теории! А не хотите ли попробовать продуть эту конструкцию в аэродинамической трубе, циклическими, разносторонними потоками со скоростью 10-15 м/с? Что получится?
Классические схемы вертолётов потратили десятки лет и много человеческих жизней, чтобы избавиться от проблем летательных аппаратов - земного резонанса, шимми, срыва воздушного потока, флаттера и так далее.
Кто-то всерьёз собирается этим увеличенным дронам доверить перевозку людей?
Что ж пробуйте. В условиях идеального штиля это вполне возможно. А как поведёт себя EHang при внезапном порыве ветра, что случается часто вблизи моря? Как переживёт от песчаную бурю, когда этот дрон уже в воздухе?
Пожалуйста, покажите и расскажите. Без этого, все демонстрации выглядят не убедительно.

[grasuh]

Close to reality? Easy to say, but let's see how FAA will respond. FAA certification is definitely unlikely if there is no pilot on board controlling it. Period. It is not about politics, but is all about SAFETY. If something goes wrong (due to many possible failures including bird strike, impending contact with trees etc) and it is going upside down, what are you gonna do??? Watch yourself become a pancake? Or carefully maneuver away from potential hazard that can only be seen and PREDICTED by an on board pilot? Remember this. Flying this vehicle itself is already very new and unproven, but bigger issue is the fact that they want this vehicle essentially REMOTELY piloted with people in it. This is a whole new challenge that have NEVER been done before. What if the communication is lost, auto landing mode engages, but is about to hit a tree, what r u going to do? Who wants to be the first victim?

Making an aircraft that can carry human is not that difficult. What is difficult is ensuring the safety of both passengers and people on ground every single day. You cannot simply stop, open the door, and walk out like a car!

[alenlalic]

40 mile range is not good enough though, but its a good start

[warakanda]

CARS IN NEAR FUTURE
this is a perfect flying car or simply a 'dronecar' created without wheels. it is realistic, that could fly, land and park any where. in the future human being will not require roads anymore as 'dronecar' could bring them any where, replacing the cars we are driving on the roads today. every home will have a dronecar, you don't need a pilot licence as passenger, as the drone fly itself, it has its own brain better than the pilots. congratulations ehang...

[xxkarlosxxxxxx]

And what do u know... Uber is making its Air Taxi too... oops ... its beginning I'm L.A and sum other city no1 cares to remember... hope they consider Chicago cause I wanna take Uber X Air in the near future... 2023 looks so close from here

[mark.hapsis]

I Jesus send holy spirit out there build me a flying vehicle. props. give power free power alswase