It’s a common sight to see small size drones with a carrying capacity of 5 to 10 kg in the sky spraying pesticides; involved in surveillance of critical infrastructure or delivering drugs in a remote place. But, the IIT Madras incubated ePlane is trying to disrupt the sector by developing electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL), a muti-copter drone that can carry both cargo and passengers.
The 3X3 m sized drone can carry 35 to 50 kg of cargo; travel at 400 ft and up to 50 km. ePlane, which got a funding of $5 million for the project, is building India’s first and the world’s most compact flying electric taxi with a vision to make flying ubiquitous, says Satyanarayanan R Chakravarthy, Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT-Madras, and founder director of ePlane. Watch the video to know more.