EHANG 184 Another solid proof of the professional Chinese technology and quality ..... The speed of high quality Technological evolution in China has broken all know records ... We applause you !
I love the VC200 & Ehang 184 designs (but I think the ehang would do better with the pod mounted below the chassis). I would like to see: 1. a hybrid version, primarily powered by a lightweight low-rpm turbo diesel alternator/generator to power the electric motors through some sort of capacitor (if the engine loses power a battery pack that could at the least allow a pilot to land safely). 2. a ballistic recovery chute. 3. the rotors enclosed somehow in a functional airframe, or shrouds/cowlings, for safety, and so the ballistic chute would be less likely to get snagged in the rotors if deployed. It might start getting a little heavy though LOL
Looks brilliant, and I'd probably buy one... :-) But why did you chose to "elevate" the mass, rather than suspend (e.g. hang it below the props)? Whatever the control system, it would be much easier to control a hanging mass rather than a "top heavy" mass... Beats sitting in traffic on the M25 parking lot, anyway...
A multi-rotor is NOT necessarily a drone, a drone is a term taken from military reconnaissance and tactical aircraft that have no pilot on-board, it has nothing to do with multi-rotor configurations or any other aerodynamic or propulsion configuration, it is just a ubiquitously sensationalised term popularised by people who don't know what they are talking about! If there is a pilot on-board it is NOT a drone or Unmanned Aircraft, unless the person is purely cargo.
Very well put Tim. That`s the problem with terminology. People tend to associate labels with an appearance while ignoring the specifics in tech that originally created the label in the first place. Even the original UACV The " Predator " was a drone and it had no rotors as typically depicted on those we now call drones.
The hoverboard one I kept asking myself "If he just went UP a bit more we'd see the flaw in his plans". These ideas are great, but I find them impractical and more just engineering ideas than actually usable by consumers. Good progress though!
The most appealing characteristics of drone flight is it's simplicity of parts and flight. The unappealing part at the moment is the failure of any of those systems is certain death.
Fantastic Idea, but still many things to think about. 1. What are the allowed routes for these taxis... In Dubai it is not a problem, there is not too much garden life... In Europe there is a lot of garden life in the summer. 2. What about privacy. If everyone can fly these drones, journalists can also use them to fly into the private life of famous and rich people.... Do we want that? No privacy at all? 3. What about criminals and police? Isn't it essential that police will have these drones to be prepared to protect citizens from being attacked by criminals using drones? Also it is very easy to fly autonomously when there is no traffic jam in the air. But if these drones are affordable for each person, there will be traffic jam... How are the rules to fly these drones? I think it is essential for the success of these drones to have fair rules of using them, taking all affected parts and people.
"Drones that carry people"? isn't the very definition of "Not a Drone"? I think what you are describing is called an Aircraft or a helicopter or a multirotor copter.
+Bobby Taylor The first video clearly shows the passenger with a controller. 3rd video, the guy uses something in his left hand. 4th video, he shifts his weight to steer the drone. and the 5th video is just a concept.
+Legend Length for a drone to flip it needs fast reaction motors that can turn backwards with a matter of milli seconds these motors take longer to speed up and revert direction smaller motors are more faster in reaction
1:30 I thought that was a scale model of the real one there until the people showed up...I didn't notice the doors in the background I guess...and they didn't even show someone in it...why wouldn't they...unless it couldn't carry people yet
I dont ever wanna live in one of the futuristic worlds they show like in the last one because theres so much wrong with the stuff like what if they run out of fuel being that they are that small it will happen fast
I kinda like the Ehang 184 drone. It looked like one of the smarter choices of manned drones in the video. I would totaly get that one out of all the otheirs.
The last machine at 7:30 is really cool and looks to rather viable (Ehang 184). They've been telling us such vehicles were supposed to be a part of everyday life the past 50 years now yet it's never happened. We'll see . . . .
Re-inventing the helicopter? How are knee/gut high blades safer? How is the lifting element below the center of gravity safer? What happens when one engine fails on an quad-copter? The vehicle is unstable. If you want a safer personal flying vehicle, improve crash landing safety for light aircraft. Large air bags. Faster parachutes. Etc.. If you want a safer vertical take off vehicle, improve the crash features of helicopters, improve auto flight and enclose the blades in a cage.
+Legend Length Thank you for your response. I don't think youtube is a good place to debate this. To what ends? Quick points, though: 1. still stand by that (knew how 'copter blades work) 2. referring to last vehicle-- a "not wise" design 3.any vehicle relying on computer control for every second of flight is not stable by design 4. yes, improve crash features of helicopters-- who cares if it's hard to do Ignorance? You don't have to have a PHD to see the obvious. Everyone wants something new and interesting, but the new so often it clutters what already works. Having written all that, if you centralize the blades, use counter rotating blades, enclose them for safety, set them up high, use separate motors for forward movement, add a lifting body element-- small wings to help, then you have something-- but is that then just more clutter. Also, the hoverboard-- will get one tomorrow when they go on sale.
A major re-write or addition to 14CFR would be required before the FAA would allow anything like this happen in the US. It doesn't matter how safe it proves to be, they'll regulate the crap out of it and probably double the weight in the process. Hope to see it in the marketplace in my lifetime.
+Lewis Busch-Vogel actually it can still carry people and be a drone only when there is someone inside controlling the aircraft it no longer becomes a drone.
it's difficult to look and that and not see it's future impact of transportation - not in particular for people but the possible applications of multicopters are to flight what the wheel was to transport on land.
A drone this size that can carry passengers needs to have a sophisticated electronic flight control to maintain stability and movement. I have yet seen a passenger drone that is as stable as a helicopter when hovering.
Drones are autonomous. These carry a person that controls them therefore not a drone. It`s just a label now frequently being misused. Not even sure how well the label of aircraft would fit since aircraft normally refer to planes alone ( normally ).Pretty sure they will have another label all of their own signifying a specific class.
this aint drone.. its manned, and im also sorry to tell you this but someone else has invented it and they call it a Helicopter, this is basically a less efficient helicopter with more propellers but carries less passengers and consume more fuel :)
Vincent Ivan Tanaya it's battery operated and used by common people for domestic transport. people of ancient age used to think that it's not possible to fly
+TonyGAMING I think the point is a helicopter needs a pilot, this doesnt. I dont see this have being a privately owned thing but more like an autonomous taxi service
I LIke that hoverboard from this Canadian guy who hovers over the lake 6:19. It could be used at Disney Parks for Aladdin flying Carpets on the Parades. :-) By the way, they must find a solution to hide all those "PROPELLERS". I don't like to see propellers. They simply remind me of a Helicopter. They must do something about it.
there could be a million rotors and it can be carrying a person it's still helicopter don't ask me to explain the physics on a million rotors I honestly don't know