The Self-Piloting Helicopter

We have drones that record videos, fight fires and even deliver packages. EHang’s 184 aims to one-up them all–by transporting a human. The all-electric creation, unveiled Jan. 6 at the CES tech show in Las Vegas, works much like a self-driving car: after specifying a destination, users hop in, sit back and enjoy the ride. Although EHang, based in Guangzhou, China, has successfully flown manned tests in its home country, safety remains a headwind; should the technology malfunction, there is no pilot to step in. Nonetheless, EHang plans to start selling the 184s this year in China, where drone regulations are less strict than they are in the U.S. CEO Huazhi Hu says they will cost $200,000 to $300,000.

–Alex Fitzpatrick