📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

First Autonomous, Human-Sized Drone Revealed at CES The EHang184 can carry one passenger for flights up to 23 minutes.

By Andrew Zaleski

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on Fortune Magazine

Photograph John Locher — AP
The EHang 184 autonomous aerial vehicle is unveiled at the EHang booth at CES International, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Las Vegas. The drone is large enough to fit a human passenger. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Call off all bets, ladies and gentlemen, because the singularity is here. Florida Gyrocopter Man would be so proud.

On Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Chinese drone manufacturer EHang unveiled the EHang 184, the first fully electric autonomous aerial vehicle capable of carrying one passenger up to 220 pounds over short distances. Travel is controlled mostly by an onboard tablet inside the pod-like cockpit—a passenger selects their flight destination, and then relaxes in the airborne vehicle's air-conditioned cabin as the 184 takes off, flies, and lands on its own.

According to company spokespeople showing off the drone at this year's CES in Las Vegas, 100 successful, manned test flights have already happened in the EHang 184.

The aerial vehicle is certainly something to behold. It's a four-armed, eight-rotor drone, standing 5 feet tall and weighing in at 440 pounds. The drone has gull-wing doors for passengers, and a trunk for luggage. The arms fold up, allowing for easy parking next to your boss's BMW convertible. The EHang 184's battery, which takes between two and four hours to charge, is good enough for a 23-minute flight at a cheetah-like 62 miles per hour.

Naturally, the question of safety in such a vehicle is an open one. With no in-cockpit flying controls for the EHang 184, there's no way the passenger could steer the vehicle should the tablet fail or cellular connection drop off, as Business Insider pointed out. EHang claims a 24-7 flight control center monitors each flight and can intervene in emergency situations.

Andrew Zaleski is a freelance journalist and special to CNBC.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Data & Recovery

Get 500GB of Lifetime Cloud Storage for a One-Time $120 Payment

Boost your bottom line by getting an enormous amount of cloud storage for life without recurring fees.

Money & Finance

12 Books That Self-Made Millionaires Swear By

The bookshelves of millionaires can inspire you to build your wealth. Here are 12 must-reads they recommend.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Green Entrepreneur®

A Deer Invasion in Hawaii Has Turned Into an Environmental Crisis—And a Sustainable Business Opportunity

How Maui Nui Venison built a for-profit harvesting business that protects the land and helps the local community.

Devices

Stay Focused and Accessible with These $40 Conduction Headphones

These headphones sit on top of your ears, so you can take calls while staying tuned into your surroundings.

Devices

Keep the Office Cool This Summer with $10 Off a Klima Thermostat

The Klima Smart Thermostat can turn your existing mini split, heat pump, or AC into a smart unit.