A Manhattan Beach aerospace company has developed a prototype hoverbike that allows people to speed above the landscape like a Jedi.
The bike hovers thanks to two ducted rotors underneath it that spin in opposite directions, and is controlled in much the same way as a standard bike.
Two control bars at knee level allow the rider to lean to either side to control the bike’s movements. It can reach a speed of 30 miles per hour and fly 15 feet above the ground, handling sharp turns and hovering motionless like a helicopter.
“We are creating exciting technology that will change the way people perceive and utilize flight. We are developing manned craft and unmanned aerial vehicles that have real utility. Our goal is to break the barriers that limit access to the benefits of flight,” says the company.
“Imagine personal flight as intuitive as riding a bike. Or transporting a small fleet of first-responder craft in the belly of a passenger transport Think of the advantages of patrolling borders without first constructing roads.”
Unfortunately, you’re not likely to be able to buy one of these bikes any time soon. The company’s envisaging it as a military tool, rather than a consumer vehicle.
It’s been working on the bike since 2008, and now hopes to improve the speed and performance.
There’s a video of a test flight, below.
