EHang’s New Firefighting Drone Can Assist First Responders

EHang, the world’s leading passenger drone platform, is launching a new version of the EHang 216F as   a firefighting drone, a two-person multi-rotor flying pod, specifically designed for high-rise firefighting. 

This is a new application of an existing platform, rather than a completely new aircraft. A company release describes the 216F as “the world’s first large-payload intelligent aerial firefighting solution.”* With the ever increasing number of fires in our nation in recent years, EHang’s 216F drone is a critical tool at this time.   

This new application of an existing platform provides confidence that EHang will be able to use their platform for future applications, such as cargo transport, search and rescue, emergency services, etc.   

The 216F drone has the capacity to carry 150 liters of firefighting foam and 6 fire extinguisher bombs per trip to high-rise fires within a 5 km (3.1 mi) radius of the station where they’re based. It can reach altitudes of 600 ft. The passenger version of the 216F can reach a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) and has a maximum flight time of 21 minutes. 

By using a visible light zoom camera to rapidly identify the location of fires, the 216F, according to EHang:

“hovers precisely in position and uses a laser aiming device to fire (in succession) a window breaker, the fire extinguishing ‘bombs’ and then a full-range spray of firefighting foam. . . . Multiple 216Fs can be deployed to rapidly extinguish the fire.”*

Huazhi Hu, EHang’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, stated: 

“We are pleased to introduce the EHang 216F AAV aerial firefighting solution, which solves difficult challenges in high-rise firefighting. The high-rise fire use case highlights the practical application of our passenger-grade AAV platform to different smart city management needs. The potential of our intelligent AAV technology platform is boundless. We will                                                                        explore and develop more aerial solutions and use cases to empower smart cities.”*

Weiqiang Chen, the head of a fire station in Yunfu, stated:

“Firefighting and rescue is a race against death. By taking advantage of the rapid response and centralized management of the EHang AAV platform, we can greatly improve the effectiveness of our efforts. . . .                                

EHang’s intelligent aerial firefighting solution can effectively solve difficult problems in fighting high-rise fires. This complements existing firefighting systems and will improve society’s ability to respond to emergencies.”*

The EHang release states the following:

“EHang 216Fs are expected to be deployed in urban fire stations to assist in firefighting within a 5km radius. . . . EHang’s autopilot and centralized management technologies enable a fleet of EHang 216Fs to be remotely dispatched for first response even before the firefighters arrive. This significantly shortens response time and can reduce casualties.”                                                           

EHang has been known for providing air taxi and air tourism services until now, and therefore, with their firefighting drone — the 216F — they are showing the impressive versatility of its autonomous aerial vehicle platform.

Future

Although mainstream implementation of drone taxi services may still be a few  years into the future, firefighting drones offer a critical tool for right now and show the practical application of EHang’s passenger-grade AAV platform.

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