The Ehang 184 Drone - World's First Passenger Drone

The Ehang 184 drone was unveiled at CES 2016 by the Chinese manufacturer as the world's first passenger-carrying drone, which can carry a person through the air without any pilot manning the aerial machine!

Measuring about 1.4 meters high, it has 8 propellers fixed on 4 arms that have the ability to be folded easily into the vehicle's body for convenient storage.

Ehang says that to operate the drone, users just need to put in their final destination on the drone’s 12-inch touch screen that is placed before the seat. The drone's computer will calculate the fastest and safest way and transport its user.

The company also claims that it is the "safest, smartest and eco-friendly low-altitude autonomous aerial vehicle aiming on providing medium-short distance transportation solutions".

Specs and features

The drone’s body is made using a fiber-epoxy composite, and the frame and arms are made using aluminum alloy. It has a flight time of up to 23 minutes, and maximum speeds of about 100 kilometers/ hour, with an altitude of 3,400 meters. The battery can also be charged in about 4 hours.

A special feature of the Ehang 184 drone is that it even if one of the propellers stops working, the drone can still complete its flight and not crash! it is equipped with the "Ehangen fail safe system", so if a malfunction does occur, the drone automatically prepares to land in the closest available area.

There is also no passenger override function, so the passenger does not need to have a pilot's license to fly the drone, but it also means that he passenger wouldn’t have any control during an emergency.

The Ehang 184 drone will be released sometime later in 2016, and will have quite a hefty price tag, probably around $200,000 to $300,000.