That crazy passenger drone out of China is about to start testing

Remember that crazy passenger drone shown off at CES 2016 at the very start of the year? The Chinese startup behind the Ehang 184 is about to start testing it in the US. The Guardian reports:

The world’s first passenger drone capable of autonomously carrying a person in the air for 23 minutes has been given clearance for testing in Nevada. […]

[It] has partnered with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (Goed) to put the drone through testing and regulatory approval.

Tom Wilczek, Goed’s aerospace and defence specialist said: “The State of Nevada, through NIAS, will help guide Ehang through the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) regulatory process with the ultimate goal of achieving safe flight.”

The founder and chief executive of Ehang, Huazhi Hu, said the move would lay the foundation for the 184’s commercialisation and kickstart the autonomous aerial transportation industry.

The mini chopper can fly at up to 100kph (63mph).

Ehang started out making regular consumer drones. The startup raised US$42 million in series B funding in August.