Aerofex hover bike
Looking for the ultimate propulsion-based Father's Day gift? This self-levelling hover bike from California could be just the thing, complete with two large ducted fansCalifornian aerospace engineering firm Aerofex has come up with a prototype hover bike that may pique the interest of motorists looking for a completely different kind of propulsion.
As seen in the video below, the vehicle hovers across the desert like Luke Skywalker's land speeder from the classic Star Wars films, and is controlled simply by the pilot shifting his or her weight around. There are no complex electronics or flight software systems involved.
Aerofex's hover bike consists of two large ducted fans held in place by a metal spine and driven by high output motor.
Thus far, the hover bike prototype has reached speeds of almost 50km/h in tests, and risen to a height of around 4.6 metres or 15 feet. Aerofex reckons the prototype will be capable of reaching faster speeds and higher altitudes with more testing.
'Ducted fan stability' is the key to vehicle's hover motion, research on which was dropped in the 1960s after designs failed to deliver mid-air steadiness.
Reports suggest that Aerofex picked up on the research from 1960s and managed to solve the stability problems that stumped scientists 50 years ago, thanks in large part to the addition of twin hand-operated control bars.
The hover bike is steered intuitively by the pilot claims Aerofex and the company's founder, Mark De Roche, told tech publication InnovationNewsDaily that it's relatively easy to manipulate thanks to the twin control bars, with little to no training needed.
"It essentially captures the translations between the two (control bars) in three axis (pitch, roll and yaw) and activates the aerodynamic controls required to counter the movement - which lines the vehicle back up with the pilot.
"Since [the pilot's] balancing movements are instinctive and constant, it plays out quite effortlessly to him," Mr De Roche said.
Unlike a regular motorcycle this hover bike wouldn't need to follow regular roads, but reports suggest there are no plans to commercialise the vehicle at this stage.
De Roche explained that selling the vehicle in a commercial capacity is not a priority, instead suggesting that the ducted fan technology would be ideal for a military application, such as an unmanned drone.
The Aerofex website states: "Aerofex is flying a proof-of-concept craft developed as a test-bed of manned and unmanned technologies."
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