Drones certainly are getting bigger. After the announcement of the EHang Passenger Drone at CES last week, another monster drone has been announced — though this one isn't meant for the public.
The new drone is called the AirMule, and it is being built for military use. It has been created by an Israeli company called Urban Aeronautics, and it recently got financial support from the Israeli government. Not only that, but the chief executive of Urban Aeronautics says it could help save lives.
"There are plenty of situations where you cannot send a helicopter — for example, in the middle of fighting where you want to evacuate people from a street or from a narrow roof," said Rafi Yoeli in an interview with the BBC. "Eventually, there could be civilian applications, such as rescue missions in the mountains or flying into disaster areas — for example, nuclear facilities where no person in a helicopter could get in."
The drone itself is around 20 feet long and 7.5 feet tall and can take off and land vertically, like a helicopter. The aim of the company is to make it able to fly at speeds of up to 112 mph and as high off the ground as 18,000 feet, however, these goals won't be achievable until the drone is fitted with a more powerful engine.
The drone is also being worked on to improve its lifespan. According to Yoeli, when one sells a drone, it needs to be guaranteed for a certain number of hours or take-offs. For that reason, the company needs to do more testing so that it can offer an accurate lifespan prediction.
Of course, this kind of drone won't come cheap. However, it's not yet known exactly how expensive of a price tag it will carry. Additionally, there is some question as to whether or not the drone will be safe for passengers to ride in.
Via: BBC
