The aircraft has an empty weight of 32 lb (14.5 kg), it's 65 inches long by 130 inches wide (1.7 by 3.3 m), and it has a maximum forward flight speed of 25 knots (29 mph or 46 km/h).

Assuming a total drone plus human mass of 70 kg I can first calculate the required thrust speed in order to hover. With these values I get 43 m/s—that seems plausible.

Flight time is typically restricted by battery life. Some of the top small drones of 2023 have a range of 18 to 600 minutes. The carrying capacity of a drone is dependent on the power-to-weight ratio.

Once a drone is connected to the target object, it uses the winch to lift, and can pick up 40 times the weight of its tiny body. The researchers imagined the drones as a potentially useful tool in ...