Drone makers see soaring growth but dark clouds circle industry

Wang Tao, founder of Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI), controls a drone in his company in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, May 22, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's growing prowess in making world-class unmanned aerial vehicles, which are commonly known as drones, was very much in evidence at the CES this year. Chinese companies' booths were ubiquitous at the venue, and exhibition of innovative products like XEagle garnered widespread attention.

At the CES, Shenzhen-based DJI, the world's largest maker of consumer-level drones with a 70 percent share of the market, launched Phantom 3－4K, a new drone in its Phantom 3 series. The model enables 4K－that is, ultra high-definition－video shooting.

Guangzhou-based Ehang also made a splash by unveiling the world's first battery-powered, auto-pilot drone capable of carrying a passenger After a two-hour charge, the vehicle can fly for 23 minutes with a passenger onboard to its destination, which can be pre-set by linking it to a mobile app.