The use of drones has exploded in both civil and military fields, but if we set aside commercial options, we find alternatives experimenting with the scale of their designs, with the aim of transporting a person instead of a camera or a package. That is what the people at Quadro UAS are working on, and the result so far is a strange vehicle full of rotors.
Why Drones Became So Popular
It is not difficult to understand why drones have become so popular. First, they present a relatively low cost compared to traditional aeromodeling, to which we must also add lower maintenance and a greater number of ready-to-use options. Second, the possibility of using them as a new means for shipping and deliveries is too tempting, and in the past we have already seen names of high-profile pressing several buttons in the hope that this will happen. Third, the scale can be altered without major setbacks. If the number of rotors and the power in each one is increased, a drone could lift other things besides its own weight... like a pilot.
The Quadro UAS Prototype
That leads us to the doors of Quadro UAS, which is experimenting with a multicopter prototype capable of carrying a passenger. At present, it is little more than a metal skeleton, equipped with four groups of four rotors each, controlled by their corresponding electric motors. There is no data on its battery pack, and the maximum passenger weight must not exceed 61 kilograms (with me it would end up in flames), but the flight is in charge of autonomous software, which should reduce the risk of keeping the multicopter in balance.
Undoubtedly, it is a work in progress. The multicopter barely managed to rise a few centimeters in the air, and its contact with the ground was quite abrupt, however, it is enough as a proof of concept. The official site is full of formulas and theory, although the goal is clear: Develop an autonomous human transport platform. Just as Google wants to see its self-driving cars on the street, it is likely that in the future we will see personal flight drones controlled by computer.
