World's First Flying Taxi Drone Unveiled, Wanna Try This?

Ehang Taxi Drone

WOW! First in the world flying drone taxi has been unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The EHang vehicle is held aloft by eight propellers and can travel autonomously meaning the passenger can just climb in and relax.

On-board systems stop it from colliding with other aircraft and buildings, and an emergency system allows it to temporarily hover in one spot mid-air in case of an emergency on the ground.

EHang was founded in 2014 and has raised around $50m (£34m) in venture funding so far.

Executives told attendees at the CES trade fair that it could be the future of personal transport. It is able to carry a single passenger for 23 minutes at a speed of 60mph, and features gull-wing doors and arms that fold up.

EHang executives added that the drone can be fully charged in two hours. Other than entering the destination, the passenger will have no other input into how the drone operates.

The company said this will make the machine safer by eliminating "the most dangerous part of standard modes of transportation, human error".

It is likely to be several years before the drone could be able to go into full production - and only if it can be approved by air safety authorities.