Meet the human drone that’ll bring you and your shopping home

Future transport planners have only one question to answer: should humans be shrunk, or drones made bigger? E-Volo is strongly for the latter: its Volocopter 2X is an 18-rotor drone of people proportions that they hope to launch as soon as 2018. Hop aboard and you can pilot its all-electric equipment, provided you’ve the relevant qualifications, or – in the world of tomorrow – rest easy as it’s remotely or autonomously controlled. It’ll seat two in its tailless pod, with a four-seater iteration penned for future development. Capable of vertical take-off and landing, it’s near-silent operation could make it a perfect taxi replacement, too, with swappable batteries for a quick turnaround. Heli-Uber, anyone?

Chris Rowlands Freelance contributor

About

Formerly News Editor at this fine institution, Chris now writes about tech from his tropical office. Sidetracked by sustainable stuff, he’s also keen on coffee kit, classic cars and any gear that gets better with age.

Areas of expertise

Cameras, gear and travel tech