Let the low-altitude economy fly better and further
Our reporter Yang Junfeng
In the frozen mountains, heavy-duty drones "control swords" in the air can easily knock the ice off high-altitude high-voltage lines; in thousands of acres of cotton fields, agricultural drones "walk" in the air, methodically collecting real-time data on soil and crops. information to help farmers "precise operations"; at the fire scene, firefighting drones sprayed high-pressure water jets in the air, successfully "subduing" the fire on more than ten floors; at the movie shooting scene, film and television drones swooped down from the sky, using High-definition cameras record one wonderful scene after another... With the popularization of drones in all walks of life, the low-altitude economy is entering the public eye, continuously empowering application scenarios such as transportation logistics, cultural tourism integration, etc.
According to the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of my country's Low-altitude Airspace Management" issued by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, "low-altitude" refers to the airspace with a vertical distance of less than 1,000 meters from the ground level directly below, which can be extended to 4,000 meters according to different regional characteristics and actual needs.
"Low-altitude economy" is an economic concept that relies on low-altitude airspace and is dominated by the general aviation industry. It involves low-altitude flight, air tourism, regional passenger transportation, general aviation services, scientific research and education and many other industries. It is an economic concept with strong radiation driving effect and a relatively long industrial chain. long comprehensive economic form.
"Develop transportation platform economy, hub economy, channel economy, and low-altitude economy." In February 2021, low-altitude economy was included in the "National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network Planning Outline." In December 2023, the Central Economic Work Conference proposed “creating several strategic emerging industries such as biomanufacturing, commercial aerospace, and low-altitude economy.”
From agricultural plant protection to power inspections, from logistics and distribution to tourism, from environmental monitoring to emergency rescue, the low-altitude economy empowers thousands of industries and constantly creates new business formats. To stimulate market forces, provide policy guarantees, strengthen technical support, and promote high-quality industrial development, China is starting from the "new" to fully stimulate the potential of the low-altitude economy and make the low-altitude economy fly better and further.
Build the "road" to low altitude
"If you want to be rich, build roads first." This simple saying never goes out of style.
Developing a low-altitude economy, in layman’s terms, means building “roads” to low altitudes. On this new "road", there will also be "cars on the road", "drivers", and industries that make people rich because of the "road". The prosperity that once arose due to the criss-crossing roads on the ground will also be the vast opportunities contained in the low-altitude economy in the future.
What will the way to work look like in the future?
Going out to "get drunk" once seemed like a scene from a science fiction movie. Just this year, Shenzhen's "air taxi" continues to expand. The commuter route from Pingshan Yanzihu Convention and Exhibition Center to Futian CBD (Central Business District) has shortened the travel time between the two places from 60 minutes on the ground to 13 minutes; In Anhui, the world's first commercially available unmanned aerial vehicle officially achieved regular flight in Luogang Park, Hefei. Using air commuting to say goodbye to commute congestion is getting closer and closer to us.
What will express delivery look like in the future?
The delivery boy has become a delivery pilot, no longer needing to rush around in the wind and rain; drones deliver goods to the doorstep, and can enter villages and households in even remote areas; the delivery efficiency has changed from "days" to "hours", and production has Fresh products are delivered to customers as quickly as possible. For logistics, the industry that requires the most speed, low altitude will become the best solution.
What will public services look like in the future?
In densely forested areas, helicopters are quickly dispatched to extinguish fires in the air and monitor forest fires; on the roof of hospitals, patients in critical situations are quickly transferred by helicopter for rescue; in agricultural and forestry mountainous areas, industrial drones shuttle back and forth to quickly complete the rescue of mountain forests. Scan and monitor various data, intelligently generate data back and process accordingly. Smarter and safer public services are gradually being implemented.
Take mountain transportation as an example. As a typical representative of domestic mountainous scenic spots, the Huangshan Scenic Area in Anhui Province has used DJI drones to open up drone transportation routes in order to effectively solve the problem of material transportation in the mountains, effectively alleviating the pressure on material transportation up and down the mountain. . Previously, the Huangshan Scenic Area's daily average material transportation demand of 15-20 tons during the peak tourist season from April to November every year could only be transported by manpower plus ropeway secondary transportation. It faced the traditional transportation method's insufficient capacity and high labor intensity. Moreover, transportation capacity is difficult to sustainably grow and other issues.
According to statistics, the drone transportation routes opened by Huangshan Scenic Area in areas far away from pedestrian trails adopt a single-line dual-plane operation mode. From June 1, 2023 to January 10, 2024 alone, a total of 251.5 tons (about 50.3 tons) of materials were transported. 10,000 kilograms), of which the maximum single-day transportation volume of the double-machine suspension exceeds 5,000 kilograms. Fresh materials such as meat, vegetables, mineral water, rice, as well as packaged garbage, silt and other materials required for the daily operation of the scenic spot can all be transported through the unmanned Machines are used to carry out transportation operations, basically covering the transportation needs of various materials such as daily operating materials and emergency supplies in scenic spots.
What will the future of agriculture look like?
The answer given by Ai Haipeng, an employee of XAG Technology Co., Ltd., the manager of the "Super Cotton Field" in Yuli County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is "drone + smart agriculture". "Super Cotton Field" implements intelligent integrated management of water and fertilizer by applying XAG agricultural drones, remote sensing drones, agricultural machinery autopilots, agricultural Internet of Things equipment and smart agricultural management systems, thereby achieving the goal of "two people managing 3,000 acres of cotton fields" ".
On December 11, 2023, XAG held its annual conference in Guangzhou. Peng Bin, founder of XAG Technology, brought many agricultural "black technologies" such as the P150 and P60 2024 agricultural drones, ACS4 smart handle, SRC4 screen remote control, DL1 digital link, and 2024 battery fog cold box. "The earliest drones were like pickup trucks, then like big trucks, and now they are like giant construction machinery. The front of the truck is getting smaller and smaller, with more and more functions and larger load capacity." A relevant person in charge of XAG told our reporter Said that the P150 adopts a new fuselage structure, which reduces the weight of the flying platform while increasing the load capacity. Through measures such as reshaping the mechanical structure and modular design, the drone is more durable, easy to maintain, and low in maintenance costs.
With the improvement of technology and scenarios, air service platforms such as taxi-hailing software, payment software, application software, etc. will continue to appear in the future, further changing our lifestyle.
Professionals analyze that the future of low-altitude economy contains unlimited possibilities. Not only can transportation systems be built at low altitudes, but even industrial systems can be built. The emergence of more and more application scenarios will also extend a new industrial chain. High-tech technologies such as digital technology, intelligent technology, and digital twin technology can all flex their muscles in low-altitude industries.
In fact, on the new "road" of low-altitude economy, there are already companies in China running ahead.
In terms of global market share and productization capabilities, Chinese civil drone manufacturers represented by DJI are already very competitive. Among them, DJI’s flight control, gimbal, image transmission, self-developed imaging system, etc. have formed certain scale advantages and currently account for more than 70% of the global market.
Relying on the competitive advantages formed by technological evolution and R&D iterations, DJI is at the forefront of the wave of changes that transform drones into productivity tools. With the deep integration of "drone technology + application scenarios", DJI leads the way in the field of drones. It is widely used in multiple vertical industries and is widely used in agriculture, low-altitude transportation, professional imaging, as well as urban governance, emergency rescue, energy and power, forestry environmental protection, maritime and other industrial vertical fields.
Zhang Xiaonan, corporate strategy director and spokesperson of DJI, told this reporter: "The key to DJI's success is that on the one hand, we have core technologies, researched early and deeply, and have many of our own patents; on the other hand, we have core technologies. It is our supply chain, production and sales system, as well as after-sales maintenance and other full-service chains that can better coordinate and support business development; in addition, in order to maximize the application value of drone equipment, we have reduced the cost of drones, especially commercial drones. It also provides safe, stable and easy-to-use equipment and solutions for different industries."
City competition "new track"
During the New Year's Day holiday, Zeng Bin from Beijing not only enjoyed the beautiful view of the city skyline at the Shenzhen Talent Park in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, but also experienced a unique "takeaway": the person who delivered his food was not a takeaway boy, but a computer with... A drone with 6 "wings".
At the "airport" set up in the Coast City business district about 1 kilometer away in a straight line, drones painted in yellow and black rose and landed. The staff put freshly prepared meals from surrounding merchants into special packaging boxes and placed them in the air. Under the command of the back-end system, the human-machine flew to the smart airdrop cabinet set up in Shenzhen Talent Park. It only takes about 15 minutes from ordering to getting two cups of tea, and the flight time is less than 5 minutes.
This is one of the 23 drone food delivery routes established by the Internet platform Meituan in Shenzhen. It is also the epitome of Shenzhen's low-altitude logistics entering the daily life of residents. According to statistics from the Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Bureau, in 2023, Shenzhen opened 77 new drone routes, with a total of 156 routes opened, and more than 600,000 cargo drone flights were completed.
The drone industry is an important part of Shenzhen's strategic emerging industries. In 2023, the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee held a special meeting to deploy the city's development of low-altitude economy; Shenzhen included "low-altitude economy" in the government work report for the first time, proposing to build a low-altitude economic center and create a comprehensive demonstration zone for the general aviation industry. Civil unmanned aviation test area. The prototype of a "City in the Sky" that faces the future and radiates around the world has begun to take shape.
In addition to new low-altitude production and service methods supported by drones, Shenzhen's traditional general aviation industry has always been in a leading position in the country. In recent years, traditional general aviation short-distance transportation companies have actively expanded manned flight services and developed new air transportation formats such as connecting connections, intra-city commuting, intercity flights, and cross-border flights. "Air taxi" routes such as Shenzhen Airport to and from Futian CBD It is being opened one after another, and the number of helicopter flights will exceed 20,000 in 2023.
Drones flying between high-rise buildings "airdrop" takeaways to consumers on time. Drones "flying out" from here are pollinating and feeding materials in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. Hundreds of high-tech companies work together to Organizing a world-leading UAV industry chain... With the first-mover advantage of industry, academia, research and market application, Shenzhen's low-altitude economic industry has taken flight, injecting surging power into high-quality economic development.
Not just Shenzhen, the low-altitude economy is becoming a “new track” for more and more cities to compete. Taking drones as an example, China's civil drone industry will exceed 120 billion yuan in 2023, ranking first in the world. It is expected that this number will be even higher by 2025. A white paper on the low-altitude economy recently released by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Digital Economy Institute (IDEA) shows that by 2025, the comprehensive contribution of the low-altitude economy to China's national economy will reach 3 trillion to 5 trillion yuan.
"As long as you take a UAV design drawing, Anyang UAV Park has the ability to build a complete UAV." In recent years, Anyang City, Henan Province has focused on the strategic goal of building an "Aviation Sports Capital" in the Central Plains. The High-tech Industrial Development Zone has built a drone industrial park. The low-altitude economy in Anyang City is booming and has become a beautiful business card of the Central Plains Economic Zone.
In the Wuhu Aviation Industrial Park in Anhui Province, nearly 140 projects involving complete aircraft, drones, engines, maintenance operations, etc. have formed an upstream and downstream supporting industry cluster.
Industry experts said that in the future, the application scenarios of low-altitude economy will become more and more diverse. General airports, aviation parks, aviation towns, drone bases, flight camps, etc. will be dotted all over the place, and our skies will become busier.
Xie Xiaowen, an expert member of the New Technology Promotion Branch of the China Communications and Transportation Association, believes that the development of low-altitude economy is conducive to promoting urban industrial upgrading and economic growth, creating more employment opportunities and economic benefits for the city; it is conducive to improving the city's image and popularity, attracting more investment and talent gathering; it is conducive to promoting urban infrastructure construction and promoting the city's sustainable development; it is conducive to improving urban traffic conditions and improving residents' quality of life.
Policies serve as good “boosters”
Low-altitude economy, only when you fly can you get hotter.
In Hunan, the first pilot province in the country to open low-altitude flights to all areas, it has just completed the flight verification of 97 low-altitude routes across the province. This can be said to be a safe flight manual. If you follow it, you will be able to "fly whenever you want."
At the Changsha Flight Service Station, the real-time air situation in Hunan that day was displayed on the big screen. Dozens of aircraft are flying, and many aircraft that have declared plans that day are preparing. At the same time, on the screen, the entire low-altitude airspace in Hunan is divided into 179 blocks. When and how each block can fly can be monitored in real time. For each flight plan submitted for approval, its flight route can be quickly simulated to ensure flight safety.
The person in charge of the service station said that the service speed for Hunan airspace application approval can be increased from the original daily basis to the current hourly basis. During this New Year's Day holiday, the number of general aviation takeoffs and landings in Hunan increased by 8.3 times, and flight hours increased by 17.9 times.
Not only in Hunan, in recent years, around the development of low-altitude economy, the country has continued to strengthen multiple policy support such as airspace policy, economic policy, and industry policy, promoting the coordinated linkage between top-level design and local exploration, so that policies can serve as "boosters."
In February 2021, the concept of "low-altitude economy" was written into the national plan for the first time. The "National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation Network Planning Outline" issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council proposed to develop transportation platform economy, hub economy, channel economy, and low-altitude economy.
From January 1, 2024, the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft Flights" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") will be implemented to protect the low-altitude economy.
Not only that, the Civil Aviation Administration of China recently announced that civil aviation will improve the general airport policies, regulations and standard management system this year, support local governments in accelerating the construction of general airports and temporary take-off and landing points, and guide and support transport airports to carry out general aviation business. Deepen and expand the development of aviation medical ambulance, drone logistics, emergency rescue, emerging consumption and other business formats. Support the creation of a number of low-altitude economic development demonstration zones based on the civil unmanned aviation test area (base).
According to industry insiders, driven by relevant policy support, the low-altitude economic industry is expected to continue to grow rapidly.
He Tianxing, vice president of Guangzhou Yihang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., believes that the "Regulations" will regulate the flight and related activities of unmanned aircraft, provide standardized guarantees for the commercial operation of unmanned manned aircraft, and lay the foundation for the continued promotion of commercialization. A solid foundation is conducive to promoting the construction and improvement of low-altitude economic ecology.
"The Regulations also propose that the state actively innovates the airspace supply and use mechanism and improves the supporting infrastructure and service system for unmanned aircraft flight while ensuring safety. This is an extremely good signal for the development of the industry and is conducive to the promotion of unmanned aircraft operations." The aircraft industry will develop rapidly, efficiently and healthily," said He Tianxing.
Cao Yunchun, director of the Airport Economic Research Center of the Civil Aviation University of China, believes that the development of low-altitude economy is inseparable from the normative guidance of policies and regulations. Cao Yunchun said that the healthy development of the low-altitude economy needs strong support from policies and regulations, including strategic planning for low-altitude economic development, policy systems, and preferential policies in finance, finance, land, etc. By formulating a complete regulatory system, more market entities will be attracted to participate in the investment and operation of the low-altitude economy.
Taking advantage of the central government's policies, various localities have also introduced policies to accelerate the layout of low-altitude industries.
In 2023, Wuhu City, Anhui Province released the "Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Low-altitude Economy (2023-2025)", proposing that by 2025, the number of low-altitude economy-related enterprises will exceed 300, including more than 10 leading enterprises, "specialized, special and new" "The number of enterprises and high-tech enterprises has doubled, and the output value of low-altitude industries has reached 50 billion yuan.
In December 2023, "Several Measures for Guangzhou Development District (Huangpu District) to Promote High-Quality Development of Low-altitude Economy" and policy implementation details were announced. Guangzhou Development Zone and Huangpu District will award subsidies of up to 30 million yuan to eligible low-altitude industrial projects to accelerate the creation of future hundreds of billions of yuan industrial clusters.
On December 29, 2023, the "Regulations on the Promotion of Low-altitude Economic Industries in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone" was voted and adopted at the 23rd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Seventh People's Congress of Shenzhen Municipality and will be implemented on February 1, 2024. This is the country's first special regulation for the promotion of low-altitude economic industries, providing legal guarantee for promoting the development of Shenzhen's low-altitude economic industries. (People's Daily Overseas Edition)