A demonstration of a helicopter team undertaking a rescue operation under extreme circumstances. [Photo provided to en.whkfq.gov.cn]

A low-altitude economy open day activity kicked off in the General Aviation and Satellite Industrial Park of the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ) on May 8.

A roaring small orange drone carrying a parcel caught people's eyes as it landed stably at a designated site. A staff member took out the iced coffee in the parcel, and delivered it to people.

The drone was developed by Xuri Lantian (Wuhan) Technology Co, and it boasts a heavy loading capability, strong wind resistance and high precision. It is capable of flight in complex terrains such as mountains and over water bodies.

A red and white helicopter hovered at a height of 10 meters above the ground as ground crew members connected it to stretcher ropes. Personnel inside the helicopter then retracted the ropes, demonstrating that an injured person on the stretcher can smoothly ascend into the cabin.

This rescue demonstration was organized by Offshore Helicopter General Aviation Co, a leading domestic low-altitude economy company. This rescue method offers significant advantages in special terrains such as cliffs, mountains, geological disasters, or isolated islands surrounded by water.

After the demonstration, 14 low-altitude projects were signed in the zone, with a total contract volume of 10 billion yuan ($1.41 billion). On the same day, a new low-altitude sightseeing project was also initiated in WEDZ.

"We plan to let WEDZ oversee the production, testing and trial flight of large and medium-sized drones," said Cai Xiaodong, president of the Hubei UAV Industry Association, who highlighted the zone's optimized supporting infrastructure and abundance in auto-related enterprises.

The zone is expected to combine its low-altitude economy with emergency response, culture and tourism, sports, education, smart city, logistics, passenger transport and modern agriculture sectors, all while also advancing the layout of its low-altitude industrial chain.

By 2030, WEDZ will be home to more than 120 low-altitude economy operators, thus becoming a core low-altitude development hub in Wuhan.