The new Aerofex hover vehicle would make anybody stop in their tracks and seriously wonder if we have in fact evolved into Star Wars-esque technology. The hovering bike-like craft responds to the driver’s (or, excuse me, pilot’s) motions such as leaning forward, backward, or side-to-side. According to Jeremy Hsu of Fox News, this incredible machine just might lead to a future where people do not have to go through any sort of pilot training in order to hop on and fly around. I’m pretty sure it would fulfill every guy’s wildest dreams to be able to whiz around on one of these bad boys like something out of “Return of the Jedi.” Check out the rest of the article describing this futuresque–but surprisingly very current–technology:
Photo courtesy of Fox News
“A resurrected hover vehicle won’t fly through dense forests as effortlessly as the “Star Wars” speeder bikes from “Return of the Jedi,” but its intuitive controls could someday allow anyone to fly it without pilot training.
The aerial vehicle resembles a science fiction flying bike with two ducted rotors instead of wheels, but 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.
“Think of it as lowering the threshold of flight, down to the domain of ATV’s (all-terrain vehicles),” said Mark De Roche, an aerospace engineer and founder of Aerofex.”
Click here to see more photos and find out about the future plans for Aerofex’s aerial machine.
Now you guys know that I’m not too crazy about flying in planes, although I don’t mind heights and really enjoy the feeling of being weightless. I think I just might have to be first in line when they start letting the public do test-drives on this baby!
