53
submitted 2 days ago by git@hexbear.net to c/technology@hexbear.net
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[-] LargeAdultRedBook@hexbear.net 4 points 1 day ago

China is even out-bazingaing the US now.

[-] Aradino@hexbear.net 56 points 2 days ago

God that's a terrible idea in basically every way

[-] coolusername@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago

I don't hate it but hope it has failsafes

[-] Anomalocaris@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

going to assume that by having many engines, a single failure leads to automatic safe landing. the real worry is how robust the AI autopilot is.

[-] UmbraVivi@hexbear.net 44 points 2 days ago

You could not pay me to get inside one of these.

[-] QuillcrestFalconer@hexbear.net 17 points 2 days ago

An helicopter but probably even worse?? brace-watching

[-] Esoteir@hexbear.net 37 points 2 days ago

i see china is catching on to the billionaire mouse trap trend, they should do automatic submarines next

[-] Awoo@hexbear.net 25 points 2 days ago

They're only really going to be used by the rich but it's a cool toy and makes them look good.

[-] Carl@hexbear.net 18 points 2 days ago

It can reach speeds of 81 mph (130 km/h), with a cruising speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).

mmmkay. That's a significant time save when you can go as the crow flies, but you'll be limited in destinations by the availability of helicopter landing pads.

the aircraft can carry up to 485 pounds (220 kg)

There are only 2 seats, so 2 people and a bag each.

these air taxis can cover 22 miles (35 km) or 21 minutes of flight on a single charge

That's really not very much. Blade, a company that runs helicopter taxis in places like New York, has typical "short flight" distances of 10-100 miles, so one of these can take the shortest viable route once (bringing passengers with it on the trip back if it's lucky) before needing to recharge.

China is a fair bit denser than North America so there may be more of these short distance routes available, but dotting the cityscape with helicopter landing pads in order to take advantage of them would be a big ask and might not be possible.

The vehicle’s battery takes approximately two hours to fully charge.

21 minutes of flight per two hours of charging. Loading and unloading passengers will probably take time as well, so maybe we can call this 45 minutes of "operational time" per aircraft per two hours spent charging. That's a lot of idle time that your passengers will have to foot the bill for in order for your operation to be viable.

[-] Sam@hexbear.net 11 points 2 days ago

American company of a hundred engineers proposes wild venture capital bait

"Meet the one rich guy who will revolutionise XYZ all by himself"

Single Chinese company prepares to test tech concept and fills in a government form

"The entirety of China has unanimously approved this concept, people will be falling out of the skies imminently, China says"

[-] RNAi@hexbear.net 14 points 2 days ago

This wont end well, tho it might end funny

[-] wtypstanaccount04@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

this is nonsense

[-] Evilphd666@hexbear.net 13 points 2 days ago

Jetsons future is here. I wish those Zionazi collaborators success.

mystery-emote hamas-red-triangle hamas-red-triangle hamas-red-triangle hamas-red-triangle

[-] ElChapoDeChapo@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago

fidel-salute-big great job lining up the red triangles

[-] eyyImwalkin@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago

Jetsons future is here

and there's no honkeys
isn't the future great?

[-] Dessa@hexbear.net 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

In Xiaohongshu I saw a couple posts about self-driving busses, and very few people seemed concerned about the safety of these. No idea what the record says on their safety though.

In theory, flight should be less complicated to automate simply because there are fewer things in the sky and fewer still that are as unpredictable as things on the ground. The issue with flying is that mistakes are much deadlier and more spectacular.

Best wishes to China on this, but I'll suffer the extra travel time on the safety of terra firma

[-] Anomalocaris@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

assuming they are safe and affordable, the main concern is noise, even tiny drones are loud. they are so best a modern version of executive helicopter for skyscraper rooftops, not a form of transport for the public

[-] buh@hexbear.net 8 points 2 days ago

"in the future we will have flying cars"

the future: some-controversy

[-] Tychoxii@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago
[-] take_five_moments@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago

american when flyin g taxi? visible-disgust

china when taxi fly? excitement

What do would they do in a 7600 scenario?

[-] RNAi@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

Add a large coke treatler

this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2025
53 points (100.0% liked)

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