Signal interference
EHang used a swarm of their consumer-grade Ghostdrone 2.0 quadcopters, and over 100,000 viewers saw the drones gather in and out of formations. As predicted by Ehang CEO Shi Zheyuan, the drones’ performance was affected by the viewer’s mobile devices. The interference signal from the audience members resulted in a deformation in some of the flight patterns. The performance was broadcasted live, which also meant the drone failures went on full display. Beijing News uploaded a video showcasing the errors from the world record flight:
Ghostdrone 2.0
Snippet from EHang’s official site shows the specs of the Ghostdrone 2.0
Besides breaking formation, some of the drones crash landed towards the end of the show. Beijing News highlighted the errors but also confirmed that the world record was still set.
Video snippet from Beijing News shows impact of signal interference from mobile devices.
Video snippet from Beijing News shows a drone falling hard instead of landing
EHang is also known for their passenger drone
EHang made a name for themselves with their passenger drone, which is also known as a drone taxi capable of carrying up to two passengers. The drone taxi was teased at trade shows for at least two years, but EHang officially released footage of their manned test flights in February 2018.
With other drone companies racing to advance aerial swarm technology and even drone taxis, EHang’s flights have proven that they are one step ahead of the competition.
