YouTube channel “Trempel”. Casey Neistat. A drone that can lift a person. Fake? No, nothing was fake. It was one hundred percent real in every sense. But there were a lot of details, so I decided to make a video and explain. I took the selfie stick. Rate the name of this hotel.
Today is the first day of filming. Now we are heading to the site of Santa's village. The sun has risen, it couldn’t be brighter here, and in ten minutes the first filming will begin. I saw photos and its details during creation, but this is the moment when I saw the drone assembled for the first time. There was nothing like it in the world, and it is unlikely that it can be launched in North America. A little about this drone: it is a sixteen-engine, hexadecopter. This is a HEXA DECA COPTER
It has 16 carbon propellers from 16 independent motors. It flies with redundant battery, propeller, flight control and motor systems. The overall diameter of this drone is three meters. He himself weighs 74 kg. With the pilot, snowboard and all equipment, the weight was close to 165 kg. It has 16 batteries and produces 1050 pounds at full thrust. 4000 amps of potential energy at any given time. The US V8 engine requires 400 amps to run, so theoretically the drone can run 10 V8s at the same time. For lift comparison, it can lift 350 DJI Phantoms. It has 81 kilowatts of energy available, which equals about 108 horsepower, which is slightly more than the average motorcycle. It has enough energy to power the average American home for 40 hours straight. And perhaps the most interesting aspect of the entire drone is the amount of extra power to safely lift a person into the air. It had to be a large flying object with 16 or more motors, and it had to have enough thrust on each axis to recover from the loss of a propeller or motor.
The thing was a real commercial machine, comparable in the number of operations with a conventional controlled airplane or helicopter. It's not a joke, it wasn't built in a garage, it's a very, serious car. The guy, Justin, his wife Elaine, and Stratton were there in the van, they built the thing, and it took the better part of the last year. Today is the third or fourth day, the place has completely changed, another city, everything is different, I had to go here. Over there is a real ski slope.
There were some statements online that it had never flown, or that it was a graphic and the whole thing was drawn. Well, first of all, have you ever seen anything so well drawn? Yesterday I watched Star Wars and could tell the difference between the real and the fake. But I understand where the criticism is coming from, especially because there was no clear shot of how it pulls and lifts into the air without cuts, and this was done on purpose. You see, it was impossible to pull behind the drone and launch it into the air, smoothly like... This is a drone, this is me, this is a snowboard, I imagined it like this: the drone pulls me, takes me onto the springboard and I fly like that.
In reality it was different. If you had pulled the drone the way you saw in the video, which was real, and then jumped from the springboard like that, the following would have happened. As soon as it left the ground, it would hang like a pendulum. So the only way to fly is by lifting it straight up, and when under the drone like this, it could fly anywhere, considering that it’s hanging from below. Even in the shot where I jump over the snowdrift, if you look closely, I don’t take off from the ground.
Justin, the drone pilot, simply skillfully flew in front of him, as if taking off from a snowdrift, and took him further. Another question that I often see is: was he tied? And the answer is: yes, it was fully equipped, safe and professional.
In all the shots where I was being towed and racing through the streets, going up a slope, just driving, I was absolutely not tied down, there was no insurance, I could have just let go of the rope and the drone would have flown away. And when I was flying, when I was lifted, it was the other way around; I didn’t want to let go or rely on one freezing hand to hold my whole body. There was a cable that went through the arm, because it couldn't go from the waist or the back, it would be impossible to ride, so you had to hold on with one hand to control with the other hand.
Because of all 16 motors, there was a strong wind blowing down, that when hanging like that, the snowboard was almost like a propeller, and it spun like a spinning top. This happened on the first day, they tried to fix it by attaching a rope to my leg so the guy on the ground could hold it.
In the end, I found out that as long as I hold the board in a super cool way and look like a cool snowboarder, the wind passes by. Therefore, in all the shots where I’m flying, I hold onto the board and look like an awesome snowboarder from the eighties, but it was also the only way to avoid crazy spinning from the wind.
A short story about how it all came to life: this was one of the crazy ideas that Samsung came up with almost a year ago; they were going to shoot it in the summer on the Caribbean islands.
Hello, drone lovers and lovers of exciting piloting of high-tech copters! It is probably obvious to most of our readers that unmanned technologies are progressing incredibly quickly, and interest in them from the media is growing even faster. A quadcopter has become a reliable assistant for humans, indispensable in various situations.
Today we can see how copters perform many tasks and functions, both in the entertainment, household and technical spheres. But this does not stop manufacturers of modern UAVs from improving them, creating new ideological concepts and further improving their own developments.
Currently, quadrics are widely used for delivering humanitarian supplies to points destroyed by war or natural disasters, conducting large-scale reconnaissance, conducting professional and amateur filming, assisting repair and construction teams, surveillance services and other departments.
One of the most attractive prospects is a transport quadcopter capable of transporting people. This revolutionary idea came to UAV developers relatively recently, but today companies from the United Arab Emirates, China and Russia are ready to present to the world the first successful prototypes of aircraft for transporting people. We will talk about the success of such developments and their prospects today.
Experts in the field of radio and aircraft engineering are confident that the main advantage of a passenger quadcopter is its comparative cheapness, as well as ease of operation and environmental safety. According to experts, such aerial multicopters can be equal in cost to mass passenger transport.
The layout of the flying drone, which includes a number of traction propellers, helps reduce the load on the general mechanics of the UAV, thus increasing the wear resistance and reliability of the propeller-motor groups. In combination with this technical advantage, modern electronics will greatly simplify the control of such quadcopters and increase the degree of safety when moving.
How can drones be used to transport people?
How realistic are such flights and are they possible in principle in the near future? The answer to this question was the demonstration of the first UAV with a person on board - Hoverbike Scorpion 3.
We will talk more about the unit and this event a little later, but now let’s look at the possibilities of transportation at the present time and the problems that prevent the implementation of mass transportation of passengers using quadcopters today.
Speaking about the possibilities of using copters for mass transportation of people, experts offer dozens of various options, starting with public transport units and ending with service resources.
Already today, “winged taxis” have seen the light of day in China and have been tested in various weather conditions. Such a drone for humans has made more than a thousand test flights, having passed the test of bad weather, darkness and fog. Such unique taxis are distinguished by high speed and, perhaps, in the near future they will displace the usual “checkers”.
Another successful experiment with drone taxis was carried out in Dubai, where a drone taxi made its first flight with passengers on board. The vehicle, called AAT, has two passenger seats and offers high speed.
At the same time, developments in the field of large-sized passenger quad-transport are gaining momentum, again with greetings from the Middle Kingdom. This version of flying “buses” will not only be faster and better in terms of transportation, but also much safer, having well-thought-out and high-quality software on board.
Speaking about the prospects for using quadrons in this context, one cannot fail to mention official transport in the form of emergency vehicles. The prospects for using such aircraft are truly encouraging - such transport will arrive precisely on time, following an optimally designed route and informing the subscriber in advance of the approximate time of arrival. It is possible that calling such a tool will be fully automated, which will eliminate the human factor and all the ensuing peculiarities.
Finally, don't forget. The vehicle will be able to transfer units along safe routes, operating in stealth mode and assisting the operator in navigation.
What problems hinder the development of unmanned transportation today?
Currently, one of the most significant technical problems is the search for new high-power battery technologies. Ideally, such batteries should have an optimized weight-to-capacity ratio, as well as durability and current efficiency. So far, modern copters for humans are capable of flying for up to 23-25 minutes at a maximum speed of 130 km/h, which experts consider a good, but not satisfactory indicator.
Another problem is organization. Most countries in the world have very strict rules regarding air transport and its operation. These rules have been defined and enshrined in the legislation of most countries in accordance with security requirements and anti-terrorism legislation.
In fact, these are two main problems of a global scale, which, although limiting, do not frighten developers of innovative air systems for transporting people. In recent years, such drones have become the subject of active study and implementation in many countries around the world. In this regard, domestic designers are not lagging behind.
Safety
This is one of the key issues that developers of large-sized copters pay special attention to. The design of mini-quads, as practice has shown, provides it with excellent flight characteristics. Even in the event of strong collisions or a sudden fall, well-assembled radio-controlled quadrics retain their integrity.
In their larger analogues for humans, it is planned to introduce compensatory anti-emergency mechanisms that will reduce the risks of falls, as well as significant damage and injury to passengers in emergency situations.
In addition, the software, which is being improved from year to year, will eliminate the human factor, automating flights, creating fast and safe routes, and ensuring the copter’s response is adequate to the situation.
Development of custom flight controller boards and controls is well underway. The central processor integrated into such boards will be capable of processing multiple tasks simultaneously and monitoring various flight parameters in real time.
Prototypes
And now in more detail about the prototypes and the first attempts to lift a person into the air using quad mechanics. The aforementioned Scorpion 3, the brainchild of the Russian startup Hoversurf, was presented not so long ago in a demo video on YouTube. The device is the third iteration of a hybrid of a quadcopter and a racing motorbike.
Representatives of Hoversurf are talking about creating a device in the future that will be accessible to the average person. The first prototype was made in 2016. By its third incarnation, Scorpion turned out to be more powerful and optimized in terms of control. According to the developers, on the platform of this unit it will be possible to create a full-fledged cargo/passenger class summer car.
The control concept here is built around an on-board computer system that allows you to combine manual and automatic control. The manufacturer has developed its own software designed to limit the characteristics of the quadron for safe amateur flights (initially the equipment configuration was designed for extreme, sport flights.)
Currently, the flight speed is limited to 50 km/h, and the flight altitude is 3 meters. The time the machine stays in the air is 27 minutes with a maximum take-off weight of 250 kg.
Characteristics
- Flight altitude –3m
- Flight weight – 250 kg
- Speed indicator – 50 km/h
- Energy block charging time – up to 27 minutes
- Engine type – electric turbine
- Unit length
Ehang 184
A real, quite serious and relatively successful attempt to build the hovering mass transport of the future was the Ehang-184 drone, presented by the manufacturer of the same name at the CES 2016 exhibition in the USA.
The weight of the quad is 200 kg, and the maximum speed is 100 km/h at an altitude of 3.5 km. Very impressive figures, with the exception of the flight duration, which at the time of presentation did not even reach half an hour.
But now the multicopter fully satisfies all the conditions for transportation safety, providing comfortable and fast flights for people. Below we present detailed technical/flight characteristics of the device, currently available in dozens of test flights.
Characteristics
- Flight altitude –3.5 km
- Flight weight – 200 kg
- Speed indicator – 100 km/h
- Energy block charging time – up to 23 minutes
- Engine type – electronic, turbine (4x, 250 hp)
- Unit length – 5.5 meters
- Control type – manual/automatic
Other attempts
Another interesting research in this direction was the Fly-board-Air, which was created by Zapata Racing for more than 4 years. A radio remote control is used to control the hoverboard. Lift into the air is carried out thanks to four gas turbine engines with a power of 250 hp.
The fuel tank of the device is implemented in the form of a backpack behind the pilot’s back, filled with Jet-A1 aviation kerosene. The capacity of such a tank is enough for 4 minutes of piloting. The maximum height reached is 30 meters and the speed is 55 km/h. The initial prototype itself for closed technical tests, according to the developers, has much more impressive indicators - flight time - 10 minutes, altitude - 3 km, speed - 150 km/h.
The future of autonomous transportation
Currently, developers are striving to create an entire aviation system that will be able to provide round-the-clock transportation for people with average incomes. In essence, we are talking about introducing a new type of public transport.
The new EHang 184 drone is certainly a breathtaking sight that deserves special attention. Unlike its relatives, this option is distinguished by a more impressive size and wider application possibilities. The peculiarity is that such a drone is capable of not only transporting small cargo, but also transporting a person.
Appearance
At first glance, this flying device looks like an exact, but slightly enlarged copy of a traditional drone, which is, in principle, true. There can be a pilot inside the aircraft, and on top the drone is equipped with an additional cabin to carry another passenger. In addition to this, the car has original blades, as well as doors resembling gull wings. This gives the aircraft an intriguing and slightly crazy look.
The EHang 184 is the world's first fully autonomous aircraft designed to fly at low altitude without the need for human control.
Control
All aspects of the flight are controlled using a built-in tablet located inside the passenger cabin. A person only needs to specify a destination and just sit, while the drone will calculate the path itself and take off and land on its own.
At the moment, the passenger weight is limited to 100 kg, and the device itself has a small luggage compartment, as well as a built-in air conditioner.
Characteristics
The height of the device is about 150 cm, and the weight is 200 kg. The device is equipped with a battery that lasts for a flight of 23 minutes at a speed of 62 miles per hour. The drone takes off and lands vertically, just like a helicopter. The aircraft charges in two to four hours, depending on the charging method.
At the moment, the manufacturer has conducted more than 100 tests and claims that the device is confidently approaching its final stage - entering the market. The drone blades can be removed and folded compactly. Thus, the device easily fits in a regular car parking space.
Safety
The first question that many future users have concerns the operation of the tablet. In particular, we are talking about the possibility of a technical failure or a situation where the tablet may be accidentally broken during a flight. Many are also interested in the problem of the lack of manual control mode using traditional buttons and levers, which are completely absent in such a drone. All functions are taken over by the tablet. The manufacturer claims that the device has many options to solve such problems during the flight. In addition, there is a special flight control center that monitors the operation of all aircraft that are in the air. In the event of an unforeseen situation, the center will make every effort to resolve the problem.
The drone also has a hovering mode. This can be used if, for example, a bird appears ahead, or you just want to stop and admire the scenery. Thanks to this and other additional features, the manufacturer claims that this aircraft is much safer than helicopters or small aircraft.
The manufacturer also claims that, given the specific nature of the aircraft, no special license or additional permission is required for its use. However, the manufacturer understands that this process may encounter a variety of legal and regulatory difficulties.
At the moment, there is no exact cost of such a device, as well as the date of its official release on the market. Despite this, this drone is undoubtedly an oblivious device with a unique design.
A passenger quadcopter has already been developed in China, the USA, and England. The creators are looking far into the future. The device can become an excellent analogue of ground transportation. In China, this type of device was created by the Ehang company; at the moment, the company is carrying out a number of other developments to create copters capable of transporting people. A copter for transporting people has already been launched in Singapore, performing the functions of an air taxi.
Passenger quadcopter – what capabilities does the device have?
- The passenger quadcopter is capable of staying in the air for up to 25 minutes.
- The maximum flight speed is 100 km/h; manufacturers are working to increase this parameter.
- The batteries can hold a charge for up to 2 hours.
- The maximum flight range of the device is up to 16 km.
- The recommended flight altitude is 300-500 meters, the maximum is up to 3.5 km.
How can a drone be used to transport people?
The developers plan to use this technology as an air taxi, cheaper than flying a helicopter, the result is the same. Moreover, the passenger quadcopter has the ability to program the flight path; the client will only need to press three buttons - route, takeoff, landing. Another problem facing factories producing this equipment is the reduction in price of the product. It is currently worth up to $300,000. Was the article interesting? Bookmark our site so you don't lose it. Our company ARMAIR supplies more than 10 types of different unmanned aerial vehicles. The site also presents gyrocopters of domestic and foreign origin. Check out all the device models right now! Are you planning to buy drones? Need a price estimate? Leave a request or call us right now!Advances in unmanned technology may one day lead to us being able to fly autonomous planes and other aircraft through the air. Having seen the Ehang 184 quadcopter at CES 2016, it's safe to say that this future is upon us. This device is considered the world's very first commercial-grade passenger unmanned aerial vehicle. In this article we will take a closer look at what kind of device this is and what its main features are.
Unique design
Externally, this drone resembles a modern helicopter with four blades.
The propellers rotate parallel to the ground. The body is made of composite materials - carbon fiber and aluminum alloy. Thanks to this, the device is very light, but strong and durable. One of the advantages of this device is its environmental friendliness; it runs entirely on electricity, without causing harm to the environment. The copter's cabin can accommodate one passenger for transportation.
All a person has to do in terms of control is press the Takeoff and Landing buttons on a Microsoft Surface tablet. There is air conditioning and light inside. There is a camera on the front that helps the drone “see” potentially safe landing spots. The device's screws are foldable, so it can easily fit into a public parking lot.
Specifications
- Device weight - 200 kg;
- Height - 1.5 m;
- Maximum load capacity - 118 kg;
- Maximum flight altitude - 3500 m; recommended - up to 500 m;
- Maximum flight distance - 20 km;
- Maximum speed - 100 km/h;
- Flight time on one battery charge is 23 minutes;
- Battery capacity - 14.4 kWh;
- Charging time - 2-4 hours;
- Engine power - 106 kW.
Safety
Now let’s look at how safe it is for a person to fly in this copter. According to the manufacturer, the design features of the device provide for absolutely safe flight if any malfunctions occur. For example, if half of its rotors stalled, the device would still be able to make an emergency landing by descending in a spiral fashion. The Ehang team also reports a special command center with which the drone maintains constant communication to maintain stable and safe flight.
Whenever an emergency occurs, the passenger can direct the system to land at the nearest safe location. If the control system fails, the command center will take control of the device. Perhaps this is a slight disadvantage, since a human passenger cannot control the device directly on board if the need arises.
During bad weather conditions, the command center will prohibit aircraft flights.
Overall, I would like to note that the Ehang 184 is a very interesting invention, which is a big step forward in the field of consumer unmanned technologies that determine the future of air transport. If we talk about the commercialization of the device, the Ehang company is quite serious if it is not stopped by the problems of certification of such aircraft. The first sales of devices are planned for this year. The price will be $20,000 - $30,000. It will be interesting to see whether the device can be successful among the civilian population.
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