Battery Technology Perhaps that's why Dubai -- which had run
"The power needed to lift and hold a planned to launch a flying taxi fleet using it
vehicle in the air massively reduces [a last summer -- later in the year began
drone's] effective flying distance," noted testing the Volocopter drone.
tests with the EHang 184 and reportedly
Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle
Group.
The Volocopter has 18 props
pr
on a hoop
situated above the cabin.
"Until this power problem is addressed,
flying
lying drones will be more of a technology
showcase than effective transportation," he
told TechNewsWorld.
"If you look at the Volocopter design, all the
lifting props are overhead like a normal
helicopter,"
Blades
remarked.
"Winning
designs will maximize safety to passengers
However, "it will eventually be addressed,"
he said, and "the economics of flight will
as they embark and disembark."
force a reasonably rapid change." The Future for Flying Taxis
Some drone makers are experim
experimenting with Several other companies, including Uber,
hybrids running on both electricity and Boeing, Airbus, and Joby Aviation, have
gasoline or diesel. been developing drones for use as flying
There are other issues with battery
battery-powered
taxis.
flight, though, such as the possibility of a "The technology will likely gain widespread
catastrophic battery failure, said Michael adoption some day, but not as soon as the
Jude, research manager at Stratecast/Frost hypesters would want you to believe,"
& Sullivan. Blades remarked.
Very hot or burning vehicles falling out of "Very rich, developing nations like the UAE
the sky could cause a lot of damage, he told would deploy something like this first," Jude
TechNewsWorld. suggested. It would likely "remain a niche
service, possibly for transport to and from
Problems With Props
airports, or for emergency response."
The EHang 184 looks like a giant drone with
four
propellers
--
and
that
itself
refer :: www.techworld.com
is
problematic.
"No aviation authority is going to approve
the use of a drone taxi that has four
spinning propellers at waist height when it
lands,"
said
Michael
Blades,
research
director for aerospace and defense at Frost
& Sullivan.
"At a minimum, those props would need to
WATCH IT
https://youtu.be/Mr1V
https://youtu.be/Mr1V-r2YxME
https://www.volocopter.com/en/
be shielded by some sort of du
duct," he told
TechNewsWorld.
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