A Russian startup called Hoversurf is poised to make the dreams of sci-fi fans come true, after it produced a flying motorcycle just like the Speeder bikes from the Star Wars movies.
The prototype bike is called Scorpion 3, it has a top speed of 60km/h per hour and can reach a height of ten meters.
Hoversurf investor Alexey Girin, founder of Starta Capital Fund, told Radio Sputnik that the prototype bike was constructed to demonstrate the platform of the vehicle, which can be converted into different forms with a cabin for passengers or cargo.
"This bike has been developed using adapted plans for a helicopter; the energy source is a battery and hybrid generator. The one you saw on the video is only a battery(-powered version), but we're going to make a hybrid version with a generator," Girin explained.
"Our idea is that in three or four years' time, it can be some kind of transportation like a taxi. You open an app on your phone to order it and fly, for example, from New Jersey to Manhattan," Girin said.
The architect of the project came up with the idea when he was working in Silicon Valley, and he kicked off the project when he returned to Russia. The motorbike is made from parts imported from all over the world
"It's easier to get enthusiasts to join the project, it's cheaper and there are a lot of talented engineers in Russia so the main project was made in Russia."
"The main thing is the computer inside. The IT part of the hoverbike is half of the intellectual property of the bike … you need to balance a person on the bike and that's the work of the computer which controls the balance," Girin explained.
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