Autonomous aircraft delivers goods or people

Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has sent five autonomous aerial vehicles, or drones, to Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, to help with the delivery of medical supplies.

EHang 216, a two-seat passenger-grade aircraft initially used for tourists in Hezhou, was converted into an effective tool for transporting medical supplies after the outbreak.

In a recent test , the aircraft successfully carried supplies from Hezhou Square to Hezhou People's Hospital 4 kilometers away at speeds up to 90 kilometers per hour.

"The 8-kilometer round-trip flight was unmanned, which is critical in the current epidemic situation," said Edward Xu, EHang's chief strategy officer. "This has opened up a new opportunity for EHang's AAVs in unmanned applications, such as medical emergencies, which currently rely on ambulances or helicopters." .

Designed for passengers, the EHang 216 is capable of carrying goods or people in emergencies.

"I'm proud to be one of the passengers on the initial autonomous flight, and enjoyed the safe, fast and smooth journey. In an urban emergency, this enables people or goods to be transported efficiently across the city in nearly straight-line routes," said Xu.