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The Future!: Another Day, Another Functional Hover Bike

August 20, 2012 / awesome, count me in, flying, good times, hoverbike, i believ ei can fly i believe i can touch the sky think about it every night and day spread my wings and hey what's this lever do HOOOOOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT, i want, i'm in, let me on that thing!, stop being such sissies and crank that thing up, the future is now, viral, yes

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This is a currently unnamed Aerofex dual rotor-powered hoverbike. Personally, I suggest they call it the Boner-bike, but that's just me and there's no way you could zoom around on that thing without one. OR A HELMET. Safety first, folks. I'm joking -- it's your head, I don't care what you do with it.

[The bike] originates from a design abandoned in the 1960s because of stability and rollover problems. Aerofex, a California-based firm, fixed the stability issue by creating a mechanical system -- controlled by two control bars at knee-level -- that allows the vehicle to respond to a human pilot's leaning movements and natural sense of balance.


But Aerofex does not plan to immediately develop and sell a manned version. Instead, the aerospace firm sees the aerial vehicle as a test platform for new unmanned drones -- heavy-lift robotic workhorses that could use the same hover technology to work in agricultural fields, or swiftly deliver supplies to search-and-rescue teams in rough terrain.

Aerofex has currently limited human flight testing to a height of 15 feet and speeds of about 30 mph, but more out of caution rather than because of any technological limits. Older versions of the hover vehicles could fly about as fast as helicopters, De Roche said.

Hey Aerofex -- you looking for a pilot willing to go higher than 15-feet and faster than 30 mph? I'M YOUR BROBRO. I'll take that thing up to a mile and open the throttle till I hit a bird at 200 MPH and it blows a hole through my chest. No regrets. Well, not about that anyways. TONS of other regrets.

Hit the jump for a couple more shots and a video demonstration.

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Thanks to Ferris, robert, Thel200ster, Wayne and Mi-mi, who agree if these things aren't on the market in five years we should storm the factory and steal the blueprints.

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There are Comments
  • ponsfrilus

    this one looks better: http://www.hover-bike.com

  • steve steve

    I hope that's just a proof of concept because that needs to either go way faster or way higher to be impressive or noteworthy.

  • Jody

    Use ramp and this to jump over the laying down kids of the neighborhood... Instant fake tans.

  • "But Aerofex does not plan to immediately develop and sell a manned
    version. Instead, the aerospace firm sees the aerial vehicle as a test
    platform for new unmanned drones" means that by the time a vehicle like this becomes available and AFFORDABLE to the public, most of us would've already passed on.

  • I wonder if I can use this to harvest fruit?

    Jokes aside, this is a pretty sweet ride.

  • First thought...Hover bike racing!
    How awesome would it be just waiting for a pair of these wreck?!?!

  • BillGatesIsYourDaddy

    I would find out where those meerkats live and drive this sucker over them all day long

  • $18922249

    I suppose that it could be slower and more disappointing... but why bother?

  • Burning Man here I come!!!

  • Johnny On The Spot

    DO A BARREL ROLL!!!!

  • Lee Tan

    Its silent and I can still hear is James Bond music. Segway you can suck it!!!!!!

  • Nathan Klassen

    Yay, landspeeders!

  • 2nd pic is SWEET! With little effort you can imagine it was taken on Mars.

  • its pretty cool until you realize just how slow it's going....

  • Jasons_hovel

    They are limiting human test runs currently to 30mpg at 15 feet in height max, however older tests with this model proved that it is capable of keeping up with helicopters. The stability system is new however, and so they are taking things slow.

  • InertiaGraphics

    Does it come in black? Also, first. YAY MY FIRST FIRST EVER!!

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