A passenger drone taxi has been cleared for test trials so if you live in Nevada and see a strange drone hovering overhead with someone waving hello, then most likely you are witnessing a test of the new drone taxi. Of course Nevada does have its share of UFO sightings, and while this drone taxi could be mistaken for some type of flying alien pod, rest assured that it is only the sights and sounds of modern earthly technology you are experiencing!
The world is getting more and more like what "The Jetson's" cartoon predicted modern times would look like. Decades ago you thought their ideas were so far-fetched like answering a phone and talking to the person face to face via a screen. Or having robots doing many of the modern day tasks, this was something not many would expect to see materialize in their lifetime. Now the drone taxi has an uncanny resemblance to George Jetson's car.
The BBC reports on June 8 that the autonomous drone, which is dubbed 184, carries one passenger and no pilot. So far the experts are divided over whether this new technology will appeal to the masses or not. The drone is the product of the Chinese company, EHang. They showed off their prototype at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronic Show this year and from the enthusiasm seen there, they hope the orders will come in later this year.
Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems' officials gave the go-ahead for the drone taxi to start testing and offered them a hand at submitting the results of those tests to the Federal Aviation Administration, which will help them with any further approval.
CNET reports that the "Ehang 184 has eight rotors. It can carry a passenger for journeys of up to 23 minutes, reaching altitudes up to 11,500 feet and speeds up to 100kmph (63mph)." It doesn't have a pilot, just a passenger and if something should happen it will land in the nearest opening. They are likely to sell for somewhere between $200,000 to $300,000, reports the BBC News.
In the video above it shows this drone taxi flying high above the city and the congested city traffic. These drones might be something that hospitals should have, they could get a doctor to the hospital in no time if their medical specialty is needed in an emergency. You can fly the doctor right over rush-hour traffic.
