Unveils First Autonomous Electric Aircraft, Hints At Production Of Piloted Model

A company best known for its RC helicopters is expanding its horizons with the unveiling this week of the HX-1 unmanned electric autonomous UAV helicopter at the Robotics Exhibition in Tokyo.

But while the UAV is interesting, Gizmodo reports that it was not the most interesting thing about the brochure handed out by Hirobo at the company's booth. Inside are details of a plan for Hirobo to build and market a single-place piloted electric micro helicopter much sooner than expected.

The MX-1 is being marketed as a medical emergency and rescue vehicle costing about $80,000, which includes a spare battery and full medical kit. But the fully-autonomous helicopter can be configured for missions ranging from aerial photography to SAR and medical supply transportation.

It has an auto-return function for emergencies with a range of about 30 miles or half an hour on a charge.

The BIT manned microhelicopter was unveiled at the Japan Aerospace Show last year, but production was not expected until about 2020. But the company may be ready to move forward on the project much sooner, if the information in the brochure is accurate. Gizmodo reports that its representatives were told that it could be ready for market as early as 2016 and cost somewhere in the neighborhood of a quarter-million dollars.

(Hirobo BIT pictured in file YouTube capture)

FMI: http://www.hirobo.co.jp/index-eng.html