Have you ever dreamed of flying in an unmanned drone, from city to city?
It sounds like the stuff of fantasy, but in China pilotless passenger drones are a reality.
You can’t catch them like a taxi just yet. But a company called EHang is waiting for the government to approve a commercial licence to start operating short flights around the city of Guangzhou.
EHang’s vice president, He Tianxing, says: “We believe the future must be an era of low altitude, and every city will gradually develop into a city in the sky.
“All human beings aspire to have a pair of wings, and everyone wants to fly freely like a bird.”
Currently, the battery of the two-seater EH216-S allows it to fly for about 25 minutes.
There is no pilot and the craft follows a pre-programmed route.
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Sky News watched it take off from the company’s headquarters in Guangzhou, fly over a port and land again.
Its blades whizzed noisily, but it appeared to fly effortlessly, leaving those on the ground itching for a ride on board.
EHang’s first model was called EH184. “It looked like an octopus, very cool, but more importantly people saw a drone that could carry people,” Mr He says.
This is part of what China calls its “low-altitude economy”. This refers to making money from passenger and delivery drones at an airspace of elevations of up to 1,000 metres.
The government is handing out financial incentives and licences to develop the sector.
Wuhan’s different vision for public transport
More than 600 miles away from Guangzhou, the city of Wuhan has a different vision for its public transport.
It’s betting on driverless taxis and has a pilot programme operating around 400 in the city, reportedly aiming to reach upwards of 1000.
The process goes like this: order the car with an app on your phone, it shows up within minutes, you punch in a pin and away you go.
US fears over Chinese technology
With no driver at the wheel, it veers seamlessly through the traffic. Occasionally it was a bit jerky. But overall, it was a relaxed novelty drive through the city.
But the technology behind it is so intelligent and sophisticated that the US is moving to ban Chinese and Russian driverless technology from the country.
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The US says it is necessary for national security, because the censors and cameras inside the cars can collect critical information.
China though is not worried. It has millions of customers at home.
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Speaking earlier this year, Chinese premier Li Qiang said: “We will consolidate and enhance our leading position in industries like intelligent connected new-energy vehicles… and the low altitude economy.”
Read more: ‘World first’ driverless bus service in Scotland axed
On the streets of Wuhan, Mr Kim is catching a driverless taxi for the first time with his young daughter and believes in its reliability.
“We don’t worry because we trust it. It can show how high-tech our city has become,” he says. “We are proud of it.”
But taxi driver Mr Deng is less convinced.
“It’s certainly not as convenient as cars operated by people, because we can react on site,” he says. “If there’s no driver, the roads will be paralysed.”
China is steering its high-tech industries into a bold new world and pushing the boundaries of how we travel.
