World's first Star Wars-style hoverbike can hit 125mph and doesn't need propellers for it to fly
Volonaut says its Airbike is the first 'hoverbike' vehicle of its kind that does not use propellers to fly.
Videos of the incredible machine in action shows the device as it appears to effortlessly glide through the air. At one point, it hovers remarkably steady as the rider lifts a hand to wave at the camera.
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Something in the air: Poland-based company Volonaut has developed a Star Wars-inspired speeder Airbike
The Airbike has a 'proprietary stabilization system' enhanced by a flight computer to provide automatic hover and ease of control for its rider.
Volonaut said: 'The current version of the vehicle is a result of many months of hard work, solved challenges, and multiple failures.
'It took the founder several iterations to get to a working and flightworthy design on which he attempted the first stable flight in May 2023 in Poland.'
No timeline for a production model or cost have yet been released.
Instagram users praised the design, and one comment said: 'The future is here! Best personal flying aircraft I've seen as far as design and flight.'
Another added: 'The generation that grew up on Star Wars was waiting for you, my friend. Please work a little faster. We're getting old but we want to go for a ride.'
Jet propulsion, which the vehicle uses, is a technology that drives vehicles forward using spurts of gas.
Creators Volonaut says the Airbike's a comfortable device, and the rider will 'become one' with the flying machine.
It's also said to be seven times lighter than a typical motorbike, thanks to the use of carbon fiber materials.
Commonly used throughout the Star Wars galaxy, speeder bikes are single-driver craft that move at very high speeds, over 300mph.
In the classic Star Wars film Return Of The Jedi (1983), heroes Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are chased by Stormtroopers on speeder bikes around the fictional forest moon of Endor.
Hover-based transportation heavily features across the Star Wars movies, including The Phantom Menace (1999) and The Force Awakens (2015).
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