Dubai hopes to launch self-flying drone taxi service this summer

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GRA

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Via ABG: http://www.autoblog.com/2017/02/14/dubai-self-flying-drone-taxi-service/

Dubai's Roads and Transportation Authority announced yesterday that it tested an autonomous drone capable of carrying passengers far above the city's infamous traffic jams. The RTA held the demonstration at a three-day summit of leaders called the World Government Summit. The hope is to have the autonomous taxis operational in the United Arab Emirates by mid-year, officials told the Kuwait Times. The drones are from the Chinese company Ehang.

This particular model, the Ehang 184, can travel 62 miles an hour at a height of 984 feet, well above any adverse road conditions. It can power its eight propellers using an electric motor for up to 30 minutes. Recharge time takes just two hours. The drone's takeoff, flight, and landing are all monitored by ground control. The drone was specially designed to stand up to Dubai's punishing summer days and cold nights.
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Step right up, ladies and gents, who's going to be the first to trust their life to an autonomous aircraft taxi built by a Chinese start-up? What could go wrong - let's hope they aren't related to Faraday Future.

Apparently, Dubai's also considering building the first commercial Hyperloop, between there and Abu Dhabi (100 miles in 12 minutes), which sounds relatively reasonable compared to this.
 
GRA said:
Step right up, ladies and gents, who's going to be the first to trust their life to an autonomous aircraft taxi built by a Chinese start-up? What could go wrong - let's hope they aren't related to Faraday Future.
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I saw that thing on the news last night. Even if the drone works perfectly, how do you manage to keep it from chopping up everyone nearby with those eight unprotected blades?
 

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