A drone carrying humans prepares to take flight in Dubai – Washington Post

The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai released footage of a drone that can carry passengers at up to 100 mph for 30 minutes. (Roads and Transport Authority via Storyful)

Dubai has made a habit ofpushing the transportation envelope, andits latestambitions are literally sky high.

Dubais transportation agency chief announced Monday at the World Government Summit that human-ferrying drones would begin transporting people acrossthe citys iconic skylinein July, according to the Associated Press.

Indeed, the government hasactually experimented with this vehicle flying in Dubais skies already, Mattar al-Tayer told the AP. It was not clearhow much each ride willcost.

The drone can carry a single passenger weighing up to 220 pounds and a small suitcase for 30 minutes. The traveler climbs into the drone and inputs adestination within 31 miles,then takes to the sky at a speed of 62 mph, according to the AP.The drone is monitored via a control room.

The drone takes off from and lands atpredetermined points and uses a camera to ensure a safe landing, according to EHangs website. Ifthe drone malfunctions or disconnects from 4G mobile service, it promises to land immediatelyat the nearest safe location, the company says.

The droneis the brainchild of a Chinese company called EHang and was trotted out to spectators at the International CES technology show in January last year.The followingJuly, officials in Nevada revealedplans to begin testing the drone with hopes of eventually winning theapproval of federal regulators, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

I personally look forward to the day when drone taxis are part of Nevadas transportation system, Mark Barker, business development director at theNevada Institute for Autonomous Systems, told the paper.

The drone isthe latest example of how thegovernment of Dubai has jumped on new technologyto shuttlepeople in the city. Officials there have begun working on aHyperloophigh-speed highway that could propel people and cargo in floating capsules at airplane-like speeds.

The city also holdsthe Guinness World Record for the longest driverless metro rail system, which opened in May 2011 and currently travels about 46 miles. (There is some questionabout whether the Skytrain inVancouver is actually longer, but Dubai possessesthe Guinness certificate.)

The EHang isnt the first personalized air transport in Dubai. Uber offered ahelicopter service during the Grand Prix auto race there inNovember 2015 at a price of $600 per seat. The company has sincepartnered with a tour company to provide Uber Chopperservice.

For its part, Uber recently hired a NASA scientist to work on flying cars an idea that seems outlandishly futuristic, except perhaps in Dubai.

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A drone carrying humans prepares to take flight in Dubai - Washington Post