ehang 184 autonomous single-passenger drone touches down at CES 2016

ehang 184 autonomous single-passenger drone touches down at CES 2016
all images courtesy of ehang

chinese drone maker ehang is looking to distinguish itself from the hoards of companies with a major endeavor into autonomous flying with the ‘184’. designed to carry a single passenger, the ‘184’ drone is meant for short to medium distance personal air transportation that doesn’t require a pilot’s license. the 12-inch touchscreen display simplifies destination selection with an automated flight system that will take over and manage tasks such as air traffic communication, obstacle avoidance, and navigation. the onboard computer will consistently select the quickest and safest path between the current location and the destination.

safety is a major concern for ehnag, so even if one propeller malfunctions, the ‘184’ can still land in the nearest possible area safely. the embedded fail safe system also overviews any components that malfunction or disconnect and will immediately land. 

the aerial vehicle is completely autonomous

the prototype model at CES 2016 features a carbon fiber epoxy composite body and aluminum alloy frame with four arms and eight electric propellers to offer 142 hp of effective lifting power. the battery pack holds 14.4 kWh of energy and takes as long as four hours to charge. the whole system can keep the ‘184’ airborne for up to 23 minutes, reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h and attain 3,499 meters of altitude. ehnag plan to sell the ’184’ autonomous passenger drone carrier later in 2016. 

the four arms fold for storage each arm is paired with two electric propellers the battery pack system underneath

the cockpit is only filled with a touch screen tablet  the propellers offer a total of 142 hp  a closer look that the compact motors for the propeller the basic user interface the ‘184’ is made of carbon fiber epoxy composite and aluminum frame