EHang’s 184 personal transport drone is real, and has been tested in flight

Twelve months ago CES was all abuzz with talk of a drone you could ride in, it was a huge personal transport drone from EHang – but it was just a concept.  In 2017, they’re at CES showing off the working model and ready to take on the world.

Make no mistake, this thing is part of a huge change in transport globally.  Today, we are tied to two primary forms of transport – road and air, with the sea forming a third critical transport link primarily for cargo.

However air transport is only used for long distance transport for city to city journeys, so the congestion within our cities is ever-increasing as more people use the roads for short trips.

How then could we better utilise the airspace above us to create additional rapid transport solutions?  Enter the EHang 184.  EHang are a drone company producing products like the Ghostdrone 2.0 VR which is now available in Australia.

The 184 however is something very different.  Drawing on the knowledge gained from small consumer drones, EHang hopes to produce a transport system with the 184 controlled centrally in their NASA-like command centre.

And this is no joke either, this thing has flown.  Over 200 test flight, some (the smaller portion) have been manned.

It can fly 100 kilometres an hour, has a 25 minute flight time and with that could get you some 30-50kms away.

Why?  Well forget for a moment the human transport headlines.  That’s cool, but it’s perhaps not the primary opportunity here.

Imagine a use in medical situations. Organ transport. The cost of a traditional helicopter flight is quite high, in time these drone flights will be far more economical, and when range is increased it’s possible a doctor could deliver an organ to an EHang 184 only to see it fly away without anyone on board and head to a waiting recipient at another hospital.

It’s interesting, its big, its exciting and more than a little bit awesome.  And I can’t wait to ride in one:)

 

[ces]

Recent Posts

  • Tech

2026 will be the battle of “RGB” in TV technology – what. the. heck. is. that?

If you're still catching up on Quantum Dots, OLED, Mini LED and are thinking that…

9 hours ago
  • Tech

NBN gets set for the final roll out of Fibre upgrades to another 600,000 homes

The NBN is getting ready to lock in the final stage of the Fibre to…

14 hours ago
  • Motoring

The stunning new BMW iX3 is a vision for the future realised as Neue Klasse comes to market

BMW has revealed the first new model to be designed and engineered under their 2025…

17 hours ago
  • Tech

Best in Smart Home – The SwannBuddy 4K Video Doorbell with AI wins at the IFA Innovation Awards

The SwannBuddy4K Video Doorbell with SwannShield™AI Voice Assistant has been given an Honouree accolade for…

1 day ago
  • Tech

360 degree security camera coverage and smart AI capabilities come to Reolink security lineup at IFA 2025

Reolink is a bit of an upstart when it comes to home security but having…

1 day ago
  • Lifestyle

LG unveil its AI plans for your home appliances at IFA 2025

LG has announced its vision for AI-powered living at IFA 2025 under the moniker “LG…

1 day ago