Droning On

According to Back to the Future, we were supposed to get a hoverboard about four years ago. Sadly, this has not happened and there’s no group more annoyed than us at Leisure Wheels. Still, at least we have drones. Technology is improving at such a rapid pace that surely they’ll be whisking us around soon, right? Well, in a word: no.

DESPITE what you may have heard, passenger drones are not about to take the world by storm. Not that they don’t exist, the technology is already there to fly someone from one side of a city to the other. Rather, the laws regarding such a thing are what’s preventing this thing from, ahem, getting offthe ground. Early estimates say it should be about two years before legislation surrounding the use of passenger drones is completed that will allow people to fly in reasonable safety without the fear of someone slamming into them in midair. When those laws are passed, these are the current frontrunners to take up the drone transportation business reins.

EHANG 184

The Ehang 184 claims to be the safest, smartest and most eco-friendly low-altitude autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV), aiming to provide medium to short distance communication and transportation solutions. The YouTube clips are impressive. CEO Hu Huazhi puts his money where his mouth is and regularly tests his product. More than 100 engineers have worked thousands of hours to eliminate any little problems that could cause, well, you know, someone’s death.

The testing has been thorough, too. The Ehang has been tested in various temperatures, has climbed to 300m, has carried two passengers with a total weight of 210kg and has been tested in typhoons. It has weathered them all.