Before such flying vehicles can take off, however, there are a number of challenges, from needing new infrastructure to regulatory concerns, to convincing passengers that the technology is safe. For a start, Ehang will be working with the authorities in Guangzhou to build up infrastructure like landing and take off pads, according to Xiong. The company was recently picked by the Civil Aviation Administration of China as the country's first company to start a pilot program for the development of autonomous passenger drones. The startup is also working with Chinese regulators to develop an updated set of regulations to account for this new technology, as existing laws are lacking on this front. "We are seeing so much positive changes in the past several years," Xiong said. "When we started from … year 2016 ... nobody even know what is this all about.