What is the "low-altitude economy"? What will the sky look like in the future?

"Low-altitude economy" is a new comprehensive economic form that has risen rapidly in recent years, relying on low-altitude airspace resources below 1,000 meters, with unmanned aerial vehicles, general aviation aircraft, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) and other manned/cargo aircraft as the core carrier, through technological innovation and industrial integration, the formation of a huge industrial system covering the whole chain of manufacturing, operation and service.

1. The definition and core of low-altitude economy

The low-altitude economy is a comprehensive economic form that relies on the airspace below 1,000 meters (which can be extended to 3,000 meters as needed), with drones, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), helicopters and other manned/cargo vehicles as the core, covering the entire industrial chain of R&D and manufacturing, operation services, and infrastructure support. Its essence is to efficiently develop low-altitude airspace resources, which is regarded as a new growth engine after the digital economy and has been included in the national strategic emerging industry plan.

Core logic:

• Space expansion: Take advantage of low-altitude areas not covered by traditional aviation to break through the restrictions of ground transportation.
• Technology-driven: Rely on advanced technologies such as drones, 5G communications, and artificial intelligence.
• Industrial integration: Spanning agriculture, logistics, cultural tourism, emergency response and other fields, it has given rise to new occupations (such as drone operators) and new infrastructure (such as urban take-off and landing points).

Second, the core characteristics of the low-altitude economy

1. Efficient use of airspace resources

   Focusing on the airspace below 1,000 meters not covered by traditional aviation (some countries have expanded to 3,000 meters), and releasing economic value through low-altitude airspace management reform, it is suitable for high-frequency and short-distance flights.

2. Diversified application scenarios

   Covering urban logistics, emergency rescue, agricultural plant protection, cultural tourism consumption, urban management, public services and other fields, such as:

3. Drone delivery: Quickly transport supplies in remote areas or emergencies to reduce logistics costs.
4. Air Rescue: Helicopters or drones can quickly deliver relief supplies in the event of a natural disaster.
5. Agricultural plant protection: drones spray pesticides with precision to improve efficiency and reduce pollution.
6. Low-altitude tours: Take a scenic flight over city landmarks or natural landscapes.

7. Technology-driven

   Relying on cutting-edge technologies such as 5G-A communication, AI algorithms, and solid-state batteries, the aircraft can achieve autonomous obstacle avoidance, multi-aircraft cooperation, and long-distance endurance.

3. Five application scenarios of low-altitude economy

1. Three-dimensional transportation network urban air commuting: eVTOL aircraft provide "flying" services, such as Shenzhen's plan to pilot air taxis to solve urban congestion. Logistics revolution: drones deliver fresh food, medicines, and relief materials in mountainous areas can be delivered directly from point to point. Transportation coordination: airport ferry flight, seaplane commuting, multimodal transportation.
2. Dynamic monitoring of smart city management: UAVs inspect power grids and bridges to find hidden dangers in real time; Atmospheric monitoring drones track the source of pollution. Emergency response: The firefighting drone arrived at the fire scene in 5 minutes, and the medical helicopter rescued the seriously injured in remote areas.
3. Industrial efficiency upgrade precision agriculture: UAV plant protection efficiency is increased by 30 times, and farmland monitoring guides precision irrigation. Industrial inspection: Wind farm drones inspect blade damage and reduce operation and maintenance costs.
4. New experience of cultural tourism consumption aerial sightseeing: Huangshan, Zhangjiajie and other scenic spots have launched low-altitude tour routes, and tourists overlook the panoramic view. Night-time economy: The drone formation light show has become a new landmark in the city, such as the Xi'an City Wall light show.
5. Public services cover border patrols: low-altitude aircraft monitor illegal border crossings to improve security efficiency. Communication support: In the event of a disaster, the UAV base station will restore the network, such as emergency communication after a typhoon.

Fourth, the current application cases

• In the field of logistics: Shenzhen, SF Express and other enterprises have opened more than 140 low-altitude logistics routes, reducing the cost of drone distribution by 40%.
• Passenger transportation: The helicopter route from Shenzhen to Zhuhai will be shortened from 2 hours to 20 minutes, and eVTOLs are expected to achieve mass "air taxi" services in the future.
• Emergency rescue: The Sichuan geological disaster monitoring system has shortened the response time to 5 minutes through a cluster of drones.
• Cultural tourism innovation: Dunhuang "Flying Sky" drone show, Shenzhen Bay 10,000 drone light show, etc., attracted millions of tourists.

5. The vision of the sky in the future

1. Popularization of eVTOL in urban air mobility networks: vertical take-off and landing, low-noise, and zero-carbon emission aircraft will become the main force of urban short-distance travel, such as Shenzhen's plan to build 1,200 low-altitude take-off and landing points by 2026, forming a "15-minute response circle". Drone transportation system: Drones operate normally in cargo transportation, medical rescue, patrol monitoring and other fields, and avoid collisions through AI scheduling.
2. Infrastructure upgrade airspace management: 5G-A communication and Beidou navigation are integrated to realize intelligent monitoring and dynamic allocation of low-altitude airspace. Ground facilities: general airports, UAV take-off and landing fields, charging stations, etc. form a "point-line-surface" network to support large-scale applications.
3. Reconstruction of urban space and utilization of roof space: diversified renovation of roof gardens, sports fields, solar panels, etc., to enhance the value of urban three-dimensional space. Aerial landscapes: New urban landscapes such as drone light shows and flying car shuttles will become the norm.
4. Industrial ecological expansion market size: It is estimated that by 2030, the scale of the low-altitude economy will exceed one trillion yuan, of which the market size of eVTOL manned products may exceed 100 billion yuan. International cooperation: China will compete for the right to set standards for the low-altitude economy and promote the coordinated development of global industrial chains.
5. The "air highway" is divided into "low-altitude waterways" over the city, and drones and eVTOLs fly according to the route and are managed in coordination with ground transportation. Case in point: Germany plans to build a national low-altitude transport network by 2030 to cover major cities.
6. With the advent of the "intelligent low-altitude" era, AI navigation and autonomous obstacle avoidance technologies have been popularized, and the risk of "black flight" of UAVs has been reduced, and fully autonomous logistics and transportation have been realized. Technological breakthrough: DJI's latest drone is equipped with millimeter-wave radar, which can accurately avoid obstacles in complex environments.
7. The green low-altitude ecological construction of electric aircraft replaces traditional fuel models, and the noise is reduced to less than 60 decibels (equivalent to ordinary conversation). Carbon neutrality target: By 2035, low-altitude economy-related carbon emissions are expected to be reduced by 70% compared to traditional aviation.

6. Challenges and future trends

• Technical bottlenecks: battery energy density and autonomous obstacle avoidance algorithms still need to be broken through, and some core components rely on imports. The battery life of the eVTOL needs to be increased from the current 30 minutes to 2 hours to meet the needs of intercity commuting.
• Policy support: It is necessary to improve airspace planning and airworthiness standards, such as Shenzhen has piloted the "special channel for drone distribution". The state has established a low-altitude economic development department to promote airspace opening and airworthiness certification, but the dynamic management mechanism needs to be improved.
• Business model: It is necessary to explore the "government procurement of services + enterprise operation" model to reduce the initial cost and improve public acceptance.
• Market size: It is estimated that the global low-altitude economic market will exceed one trillion yuan in 2030, and China will occupy 40% of the share.

epilogue

In the future, the sky will be a three-dimensional space that is "safe, efficient, intelligent and green". The low-altitude economy will not only reconstruct the logic of transportation and industry, but also give birth to new lifestyles such as "flying communities" and "low-altitude tourism belts". Just as drones have changed from aerial toys to logistics workhorses, low-altitude economies are bringing sci-fi scenarios to life. The low-altitude economy will profoundly change the way of life of mankind. From drone delivery packages to commuting by "air taxi", from rooftop gardens to urban air corridors, the sky is no longer just the exclusive domain of aircraft, but has become a "second ground" to support high-quality economic development. With the coordinated advancement of technology, policy and infrastructure, the low-altitude economy is expected to become a new track for the mainland to overtake in the global industrial competition.

Disclaimer: We respect originality and also focus on sharing. Some of the content comes from the Internet, the copyright belongs to the original author, only for learning and reference, it is forbidden to use it for commercial purposes, if you inadvertently infringe on the intellectual property rights of any media, company, enterprise or individual, please contact to delete (email: [email protected]), and the content of this headline push only represents the author's point of view, and has nothing to do with the headline operator, the authenticity of the content please readers identify by themselves, this headline does not assume any responsibility.