Sure, hoverbikes were all the rage a long time ago and in a galaxy far far away, but they’re starting to make a comeback in California.
Aerofex, a California-based company, has invented and tested a real working hoverbike.
According to Innovation News Daily , a hoverbike was designed in the 1960s, but the plans were abandoned after engineers couldn’t make the aerial vehicle stable. Aerofex managed to fix the problem with a pair of control bars at the knee to give the bike a sense of natural stability.
The LA Times reports that the low-level control bars allow the rider to control the hoverbike by leaning left or right.
Aerofex has been working on the bike since at least 2008, and now they have a pretty impressive prototype.
Mark De Roche, an aerospace engineer and founder of Aerofex, said:
“Think of it as lowering the threshold of flight, down to the domain of ATV’s (all-terrain vehicles).”
John M. Davis, a former technical director for the American Helicopter Society International, said that he was very impressed with the machine but wasn’t sure if it would find a market.
Davis said:
“It is a very fascinating vehicle to look at and watch operate, but can it find a really unique mission that warrants its full development.”
Here’s a video of the hoverbike in action.
