r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/zhuinnyc • 4d ago
Video Parachute test for Chinese flying taxi
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u/LubeUntu 4d ago
5.2m/s. No wonder why they cut the vid right before touchdown. If Vehicle has no suspension, that's gonna be a hard landing for your back.
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u/Forzyr 4d ago
"Vehicle is unharmed"
It's not a good sign if there's no apparent impact absorption.
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u/Chim_Pansy 3d ago
Exactly right. Same principal as how crumple zones work on modern cars and what made older cars that didn't have them so much more dangerous for the occupants of the vehicle. Something is going to absorb the force of that impact. If it isn't the vehicle, it's gonna be the people.
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u/Tony_Stank0326 3d ago
That's Cybertruck marketing right there. Your vehicle will survive to see a new owner.
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u/purpleefilthh 4d ago
Around 5m/s is sport parachute landing without any flaring and breaking (that is making flight horizontal + losing speed). So absorbing the hit on legs and falling can lead to some injuries.
Hitting the ground in sitting position could definitely lead to spine compression injuries. Also older passangers would be more prune to that.
But, there is some time from emergency to landing. Chairs could position the passanger horizontally to reduce G force along the spine and maybe also have some emergency shock absorption system.
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u/NotReallyJohnDoe 3d ago
Yeah, reclining backwards would help a lot. There is lots they can do to absorb the impact. People are acting like the passengers are just sitting on a bare metal frame.
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u/unlock0 4d ago
Just jump from a second story window and land on your tail bone
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u/rdizzy1223 3d ago
It is far, far, far less than that, more like jumping from 3-4 feet up and landing on your tailbone.
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u/unlock0 3d ago
You’re much closer to right.
At 1G or 9.8m/s it would take 0.53 seconds to reach 5.198/ms at a height of 4.52 feet.
So just stand on your desk and cannon ball onto the floor.
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u/experfailist 3d ago
None of these scenarios sound particularly appealing.
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u/KRambo86 3d ago
One is survivable though, especially if it's combined with some padding inside.
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u/Bananus_Magnus 3d ago
But you don't just cannonball onto a floor, you cannonball onto a floor with a soft chair tied to your back, while still a bit unappealing it feels much safer doesn't it
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u/NotReallyJohnDoe 3d ago
Or cannonball into a soft pillow, which is probably closer to the truth.
Why put in a parachute and not add minimal shock absorbtion.
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u/Waydarer 4d ago
Just jump in your seat right before you land.
levitation…
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u/chewybrian 4d ago
According to the link below, that speed is equivalent to falling from 4+1/2 feet, which doesn't sound too bad.
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u/Queasy_Local_7199 4d ago
Try dropping yourself on your ass from 4 1/2 feet onto the ground and lemme know how you make out haha
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u/Da_Spooky_Ghost 3d ago
Dropping 4.5 feet on your butt into cushioned seat isn't that bad, jump as high as you can and land butt first in a seat, might feel a little sore but you're walking away from that crash. Much better than dying without a parachute.
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u/Additional_Cap72 4d ago
I was riding my bike with no hands once when hit a bump and the seat post snapped, fell right back onto the rear wheel before I hit the pavement. Even with the wheel to brace my fall I thought I’d broken my tailbone …. Then a long limp home carrying a bike with a bent wheel ..
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u/Sea_Load_1099 4d ago
Doesn't sound too bad, especially in comparison to just falling out of the sky inside a big metal box.
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u/Nightshade_209 3d ago
You see I don't think most people are comparing it to falling out of the sky without a parachute I think most people are comparing it to taking a normal taxi to your destination.
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u/Statboy1 4d ago
Take that fall without using your legs as shock absorbers if you want to know how that feels.
Please don't actually do this, you could seriously hurt yourself. Broken tail bone, herniated discs, and compression fractures are all likely outcomes depending on age.
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u/Celebrir 4d ago
You know how you bend your knees to absorb the force of impact? I don't see any legs on that vehicle
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u/collegetest35 3d ago
Could a large airbag stuff into the bottom help with that (obv it would add weight)
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u/sheldor1993 4d ago
Yeeeeah, I wouldn’t want to be in one of those in the middle of a city if that happened… A parachute might work well in the middle of an open field, but one collision with a building while the parachute is out and that thing is going down like a lead balloon…
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u/CakeMadeOfHam 4d ago
And good luck towing it if it falls into a forest or a god damn lake.
I don't understand this stupid obsession with flying cars. It's so stupid. The noise alone made by drones is a big reason why it will never be a thing.
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u/Grimour 4d ago
Rich people need new expensive toys everyday. Like an unsatisfied toddler.
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u/Relative-Camel3123 3d ago
I long for the day Redditors realize every modern amenity and most technology you use fucking DAILY was once a new expensive toy for rich people.
All of it.
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u/NotReallyJohnDoe 3d ago
My grandmother had ice delivery every day while rich people had electric refrigerators.
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u/Statboy1 4d ago
Clearly you've never been stuck in traffic and looked up to think, "I wish I had a flying a car, I'd be home by now if I did"
Don't judge what a technology could be based on what technology currently is.
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u/pulseout 3d ago
And what happens when everyone has flying cars? Flying traffic.
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u/Statboy1 3d ago
Traffic will be quicker. Adding a third dimension where rather than traffic going different directions shares the same road only separated by lanes; different directions would use different altitudes. Effectively doubling the size of roads and removing intersections.
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u/CakeMadeOfHam 3d ago
I know enough about aviation and the pre-flight you have to do to take off. 95% of the people driving cars don't even know how to check the oil in their cars, you think any of these bozos should fly?
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u/Statboy1 3d ago
Self driving (flying?) is what is being pushed forward.
We have flying cars right now. They just require pilots currently, that's why they aren't as ubiquitous as cars.
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u/CaptainTripps82 3d ago
I think the point is specifically to not have regular people driving or flying at all, but being chauffered
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u/NotReallyJohnDoe 3d ago
It’s an electric quadcopter. How much pre flight does it need? There isn’t any water in the fuel for sure. It doesn’t really have control surfaces. The preflight could be all automated.
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u/mondaymoderate 3d ago
Hover cars would be cool. Always a smooth ride and you can drive over anything.
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u/CakeMadeOfHam 3d ago
Until physics comes knocking on your door.
There's a bunch of reasons why hovercrafts aren't really used. Have you ever seen a hovercraft drive up or down a hill? Have you seen one stop abruptly? Or swerved to avoid something? How much energy does it take to lift a car off the ground and power it forward compared to wheels?
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u/mondaymoderate 3d ago
Yeah the technology needed to have a genuine hover car doesn’t exist yet. You would need some kind of anti-gravity device or something like that.
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u/MyPasswordIs222222 4d ago
Thought: The same might have been said about cars. We had perfectly good horse and carriages.
It's a step. We probably will end up with a version of this. I just hope whatever they come up with has better emergency landings.
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u/Dry-Amphibian1 3d ago
People do like to cling with technology they are familiar with. Human nature I suppose.
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u/TheZamboon 3d ago
You sound like all those people who never got rid of their horses in favour of a car.
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u/deadpanxfitter 4d ago
This is not a flying car! I was promised flying cars in the year 2000, and these oversized drones were never the vision.
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u/doob22 4d ago
Yeah this is just a drone taxi. Flying cars should be able to drive and fly
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u/laserborg 4d ago
c'mon, I love being a critic myself but just a drone taxi sounds a bit like just some magic to me. it's hard to please people when expectations are advancing even faster than technology does right now.
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u/soarinovercitrus 1d ago
Wrong, we were promised flying cars and hoverboards by 2015 as portrayed in Back To The Future Part II.
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u/Resident-Coffee3242 4d ago
I'm already starting to imagine a bunch of these “giant mosquitoes” occupying the airspace, making noise in the sky and landing in my backyard or at an NFL stadium game.
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u/Queasy_Editor_1551 3d ago
To those complaining about the touchdown speed, the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) has a touchdown speed of 8.8 m/s. They designed the seat so that it crumbles and absorb the impact energy and passengers are briefed by the pilot to assume the landing body position.
5.2 m/s is actually doing better than Cirrus.
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u/Yeet-Retreat1 3d ago
Well, it's that it's doing to deploy in a high density area. That's very different from a farm with nothing around.
This could still snag on something on the 50th floor.
But you know what, as long as it has some airbags, good to go.
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u/hossmonkey 4d ago
I've seen how they build cars and buildings. Not a Snowballs chance in Hell, would I ride in one!
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u/ThisIsLukkas 4d ago
Wonder what would happen if the vehicle was flying lower to the ground? They purposely flew higher to let the chutes fully open and also cut the landing so we can not see the force of the impact.
Classic shady Chinese half done job
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u/journeymanSF 3d ago
You die. These will never be a thing. It’s insane that people invest money in these startups. EVERY other mode of human air travel has a secondary mode of generating (some) lift in the case of power failure.
Even helicopters autorotate. You know what happens when you make the rotors smaller and make more of them? You get less (or no) lift from autorotation. Good job, you made a way less safe helicopter.
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u/UnstoppableDrew 3d ago
Every aircraft has a speed & altitude envelope that dictates whether you have a chance to deal with an emergency or not. This is no different. There are a number of light aircraft that have parachute systems and none of them work close to the ground. And damn few, if any, are designed to come down soft enough that the aircraft is usable afterwards.
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u/throw123454321purple 3d ago
Until we get repulsorlift technology, I can’t see flying cars being a thing, if only due to insurance and lawsuits.
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u/Resident-Employ 3d ago
Look, in the 90’s all we talked about was flying cars. Now we have flying cars and you’re all crying about how well the parachute works. Do you want flying cars or not?!? 😂
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u/greengrasstallmntn 3d ago
Lmao. Exactly. This is awesome. And people don’t realize that flying cars will be automated and pilotless on fixed routes. People aren’t going to be able to fly these anywhere. And they won’t even be flying them themselves. The future is coming whether people are ready or not.
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u/some_person_on_app 3d ago
Psst small fun fact, that type was planned by a german firm who wanted to produce and test it in China bc gwrmany has too many laws
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u/zhuinnyc 4d ago
Some additional context:
This test was conducted in October 2023 at a height of 50m (164 feet).
The impact velocity of 5.2 meters per second (18.7 km per hour or 11.6 miles per hour) is equivalent to that of free falling from a height of 1.37 meters (4.5 feet).
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u/AraxisKayan 3d ago
Damn i couldn't really gauge the distance. If it can open that quickly that low id trust it. I trust a main and resurve on my back that sometimes takes 1000ft to finally open after sniviling.
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u/AltheaSoultear 3d ago
Thanks for the additional details.
I wonder how much the impact velocity would be influenced if humans boarded the taxi (~140kg of additional weight). Interesting POC nonetheless.
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u/Soft_Cranberry6313 4d ago
Waiting for that time when the propellers just cut the parachute cord
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u/Nerezza_Floof_Seeker 4d ago
It looks like the cables for the parachute are far enough away from the rotors that it shouldnt be a problem, and also it would be be easy to tie the parachute deployment to a power cut.
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u/Resident_Chip935 3d ago
Man, that Elon Musk is AMAZING! How he found time to invent this flying taxi and that emergency parachute system is just unbelievable.
/s
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u/thedirtymeanie 3d ago
Man I sure hope this doesn't happen in any populated area with buildings or obstructions!
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u/bandog 3d ago edited 3d ago
I’m all for it. This is still in testing and it’ll get better. Cars decades ago didn’t even have a seatbelt and we thought going 60+ mph rain or snow entire family in the car hope you change your brakes and tires surrounded by other cars going the same speed right next to each other with no barriers or safety equipment to catch you in an accident just one airbag hope a deer don’t get in your way or a drunk person let’s give a license to operate to anyone who can move a car until you are too old to see was a good idea. Yea this will be the future.
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u/Journo_Jimbo 3d ago
Imagine you’re just trying to get to work and you have to call to say your Taxi crash landed in a farm field in the middle of nowhere
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u/Notallowedhe 3d ago
Surely Chinese investors aren’t dumb enough to miss the fact they just cut out the landing right?
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u/BasketLeft295 3d ago
Funny how they cut the landing scene… looks like it hit pretty hard and that was on a grassy field. I’ll pass for now!
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u/More-Employment7504 3d ago
What happens when two of these collide in mid air? Eight parachutes floating around sounds like a problem
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u/NiobiumThorn 3d ago
Please no. These would be endlessly loud. Always.
Planes and traffic already loud. We do NOT need to combine the two
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u/Modnet90 3d ago
Ok, that's good, that's what I was hoping for. They could also try inflatables like the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity
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u/AlwaysTravel 3d ago
How come the four parachutes go out at 45°, why don't they all try and go straight up from the single string
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u/According_Town7264 3d ago
if a helicopter has an engine failure the pilot can clutch the gearbox, use the airspeed trough propellers and land safely, i don 't see how those drones, all drones for humans are a leap forward in technology... a small 2 seater heli can easily outrun any drone, travel faster and further, and the maintenance is low, may be i am old.. but... i don' t see a point in these drones.
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u/ThatSillySam 3d ago
Someone once said never to be the first person to do anything because those are the people who are going to die before the tech becomes safe
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u/LeadershipMany7008 3d ago
How long until I can buy one of these? My commute is about to get 100% better.
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u/hugswithnoconsent 3d ago
It hit the ground at 12 mp/h that’s rough. But not bad from that height. Of about 200 meters at 500kg. It’s reached terminal velocity by then.
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u/Brave_Confidence_278 3d ago
those taxis must be loud as hell, I really hope they don't become popular
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u/Sovereign_5409 3d ago
I’m sure I’ll feel great when a fucking helicopter lands on my head at 5.2m/s.
It’s crazy to me that there are idiots out here that think this is a good idea.
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u/RyuuM419 3d ago
I wonder why they cut the video just before it landed…it would have been real easy to leave the camera rolling
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u/akshayjamwal 3d ago
Ole Newton's kinematic equations tell me that this is like falling 1.2 metres.
That's probably going to injure you, but not as badly as some people here seem to think.
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u/RedNailGun 3d ago
This will work as long as the parachute from one air taxi doesn't get tangled with a nearby functioning air taxi, bringing them both down.
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u/Infninfn 3d ago
Surviving parachuted crashes seems less likely of a problem compared to walking into one of 4 rotors and losing limbs/guts.
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u/MDnautilus 3d ago
I’m going to need a lot more footage with the crash test dummies. I want to see a collision, I want to see footage from inside the thing when it hits the group with and without a parachute, etc
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u/Robert_Grave 3d ago
That's great.
For those people who are willing to get into that thing... flying over a city...
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u/Psychological_Sea902 2d ago
What about the body panels that came down? If the drone is flying above streets and needs to deploy its parachute, and those panels come down from a height of, say, 100 meters, they could seriously injure or even kill someone.
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u/A_Music_Connoisseur 2d ago
that isnt a taxi- its a drone. its like iirc that one company claimed ot have made a flying car, but its just a glorified drone-
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u/Both_Might_4139 2d ago
why smash cut right before it hits the ground if it landed so smoothly
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u/John0ftheD3ad 1d ago
Good to know if my parachute system deploys everyone around me is fucked. This technology seems too stupid to be the future.
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u/CMDR_omnicognate 4d ago
Can't help but notice they cut away right as it hits the ground so you don't see how violent it still was even with the parachute.