Latest news with #StarWars-style
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Flying bikes: The future of VTOL
Volonaut's newly released Airbike is a lightweight, single-rider aerial vehicle designed to hover and fly short distances at low altitudes. It is visually reminiscent of a motorcycle fused with a drone, with many hailing it to be a 'Star Wars-style flying bike.' It uses a compact jet propulsion system, enabling the vehicle to achieve vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). Onboard stabilisation software, enhanced by a flight computer, allows the rider to easily manoeuvre while flying, with the handlebars serving as the main form of steering, like a traditional bike. Additionally, the system also integrates obstacle sensors, GPS routing, and altitude governors for safety and semi-autonomous balance. While not considered to be a regular street vehicle, the Airbike does offer a possible solution for short-range urban mobility. The benefits of the Airbike The Airbike taps into a long-standing vision of personal flight. It is compact, manoeuvrable, and user-operated without needing a full pilot's license (in some jurisdictions). For short-range commutes over gridlocked cities, it offers the possibility of bypassing congested infrastructure entirely. With it having zero ground footprint during flight, it avoids the spatial limits of cars, bikes, and larger ground vehicles, potentially leading to less congested roads. And while the Airbike may seem difficult to ride, its onboard flight computer assists the rider to allow for an easier flying experience. Finally, being constructed with 3D printing techniques and advanced carbon fiber material, the Airbike is a lot lighter than existing VTOL alternatives, coming in at 66lb (30kg). With this lightweight design, the Airbike can also reach a top speed of 102 km/h (63mph), which complies with the US Federal Aviation Administration rules. The downsides The Airbike is in the early stages of its lifecycle. Several issues limit practicality in its current form. Fuel and battery life are the main constraints, only allowing the vehicle to fly for a maximum of ten minutes, massively restricting its range. Safety is another significant concern. While it is equipped with safety measures, the lack of enclosure or crash mitigation makes any malfunction potentially catastrophic. Weather limitations like harsh winds, heavy rain, and low visibility can ground the Airbike more often than not, raising questions of whether it is worth investing in. Also, legal implications are a grey area for Airbikes, with no established framework for public use. Insurance, liability, registration, and flight permissions are pending issues that are unresolved. Ultimately, the Airbike comes at a steep price of reportedly around $880,000, meaning it is not a mass-market product. The potential of the Airbike Despite limitations, the Airbike represents an evolving frontier of aerial micro-mobility. As battery tech improves and noise-reducing propulsion systems mature, future models could significantly expand in range and safety. In low-traffic or emergency contexts, such as rural rescue, infrastructure inspection, or military scouting, the Airbike already shows tactical advantages. Longer term, if regulations catch up and manufacturing scales, personal VTOLs might fill niche transportation roles between bikes and helicopters. However, that future hinges on critical advancements in autonomy and airspace. For now, the Airbike is less a replacement for cars and more a signal that daily travel and commuting may one day leave the ground. "Flying bikes: The future of VTOL" was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Post
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Company proves Star Wars speeder bikes are real — and they can reach mind boggling speeds
A controversial, Star Wars-style flying speeder bike has gone on sale. A viral video of the space-age Airbike vehicle zipping across the landscape divided opinions earlier this year, with many suggesting computer trickery had been used. However, Polish company Volonaut now says it will go into production in limited numbers at the launch price of £649k ($880k). 5 Polish company Volonaut is putting into production a Star Wars-style flying speeder bike. Volonaut / SWNS They also revealed new flight footage with original audio they claim shows Airbike is real. The video shows the small, one-person vehicle—said to be able to fly at 124mph—apparently flying over a test ground, thanks to a loud method of propulsion. Polish inventor and Volonaut founder Tomasz Patan said: 'This kind of extra footage was requested and highly anticipated. 5 The one-person vehicle is said to be able to fly at 124mph. Volonaut / SWNS 5 The company's new flight footage with original audio is being used to show that the technology is real. Volonaut / SWNS 'Although the original release went viral, it also managed to divide opinions and stir the internet. Many claimed this hoverbike is not real and that the footage has been produced with use of AI or CGI. 'It is not hard to imagine why—the futuristic vehicle seems to not obey the laws of physics with no visible means of generating lift or maintaining unprecedented stability with its rider on top of it. 'Volonaut is confirming the authenticity of all officially released video materials saying that a real, fully functional and flying prototype vehicle has been piloted by the inventor with zero use of special effects, AI or computer generated imagery.' In May, Volonaut stated that the AirBike is powered by jet propulsion, with a proprietary stabilization system enhanced by a flight computer to provide automatic hover capability and ease of control for its rider. 5 'Many claimed this hoverbike is not real and that the footage has been produced with use of AI or CGI,' Volonaut founder Tomasz Patan said. 'Volonaut is confirming the authenticity of all officially released video materials.' Volonaut / SWNS Tomasz Patan adds: ''It was always my dream to create a personal flying machine so futuristic and iconic that it could be placed on a science fiction movie set. 'The challenge was to come up with real-world reliable core technology that can be shrunk down and wrapped with a functional and bold design. 5 The launch price is £649k ($880k). Volonaut / SWNS 'The result is a first of its kind vehicle with incredible performance, stunning looks that actually resembles a sports motorbike, and it is flying.' Volonaut says they will manufacture a commercial hoverbike version with a top speed of 63mph, to meet the 'ultralight' classification requirements. This would allow people to ride it in the air outside densely populated areas without needing a pilot's license. The company adds: 'Specially developed training led by professionals will ensure that owners learn to safely and responsibly operate their speeders.' Volonaut says it has begun work on a pre-production version and aims to share first flight footage in 2026. Pre-order reservations will open on 1 August.
Geek Tyrant
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Three Superhero Moments James Gunn Never Wants to See Again in the Movies — GeekTyrant
James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios and director of the upcoming Superman movie, recently talked about the three superhero moments that he never wants to see again, telling The Times: 'There are three things I don't ever need to see again in a superhero movie. I don't need to see pearls in a back alley when Batman's parents are killed. I don't need to see the radioactive spider biting Spider-Man. And I don't need to see baby Kal coming from Krypton in a little baby rocket.' It's not that Gunn is dismissing those origin stories, he's just acknowledging how oversaturated they've become. He pointed out how other films don't feel the need to spell everything out. 'We have watched a million movies with characters who don't have their upbringing explained, like when we see Good Night, and Good Luck we don't need to know the early life of Edward R. Murrow to explain how he became a journalist. Who cares?' That line of thinking directly informs his approach to Superman . Rather than rehash Clark Kent's journey from Smallville farm boy to Krypton's last son, Gunn's film introduces a Superman already in action. This version of the character is in year three of his superhero career, and the world around him has been dealing with metahumans for centuries. Instead of starting at square one, Gunn is launching the movie with a Star Wars-style opening crawl to get audiences up to speed. Gunn has also confirmed that The Brave and the Bold , DC's upcoming Batman movie, will feature a seasoned Caped Crusader, not another early-years vigilante weighed down by flashbacks of alleyway trauma. When previously talking about Superman, he said: 'We just start in the middle of the action. Superman already exists. Lois and Clark already know each other. Lex [Luthor] hates Superman's guts from the beginning, although they don't know each other personally. So we start right in the middle of the action. It takes place over a short amount of time.' I'm on board with this direction for movies. We don't need to keep seeing the same old origin story, and I'm glad that DC Studios will be moving away from that and trying something different.
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
The AI artist who refuses to lose himself
AI artist Keepkwan keeps his own voice with ground rules for working with AI -- so he doesn't 'get swallowed by' it When one introduces oneself as an 'AI artist,' the question almost always follows: Who is the true creator -- the machine or the human behind it? The recent boom in AI-generated images, particularly those mimicking the look of Studio Ghibli, has made this question become even more widely asked. Yoon Seok-kwan, an "AI artist" who works under the pseudonym Keepkwan, shares this concern. While he believes originality is still possible when working with AI, he worries that much of what is being produced lacks a personal, authentic voice. 'What I worry about most is the absence of originality in the recent Ghibli image trend,' he said during his interview with The Korea Herald. 'It would be great if, by working with AI, people could create something unique. But instead, many just go for whatever looks good or is easy to replicate.' To avoid falling into that trap, Keepkwan has established a set of boundaries and creative habits that help ensure his work remains his own. 'That's why I don't use pre-existing styles. No Ghibli-style, no Star Wars-style, nothing borrowed,' he explained. 'I make my own mood and color boards. I try to develop my own visual language and create based on that.' At the same time, he acknowledges the complexity of the issue. 'It's not so easy to draw a clear line,' he said. 'When AI enters the realm of creation, we have to ask, 'What exactly is the role of the human artist?'' For Keepkwan, the key lies in transparency, being clear about how much of the work is truly his. 'What matters is how much the creator contributes, and in what ways,' he said. 'That contribution needs to be documented and proven.' To ensure that, he records his entire creative process, from the first spark of an idea in the shower to the sketches and refinements that shape the final image. 'I keep track of everything,' he said. Playing catch with AI Keepkwan describes creating art with artificial intelligence as a bit like playing catch. But he has a set of rules he never breaks. He always throws the first ball, and he decides when the game ends. 'It always starts with me making the ball,' he said. 'Meaning, it starts with my idea. If I just ask the AI tool to make something from the beginning, then to me, that's not really mine. It's the AI's.' Keepkwan says he uses multiple AI tools for his work, some of which he shares on his Instagram account and notes were "created in collaboration with AI." Also, before typing a single prompt, he spends days, or sometimes longer, researching, outlining and clarifying the purpose of the work. To him, AI is a tool best used after his creative vision is fully formed. 'To get the right answers, I need to know enough myself,' he said. To prove his point, he shared a recent project involving AI-generated images of hanbok, the traditional Korean dress. 'If I didn't know anything about hanbok, I wouldn't have been able to tell when something was off,' he said. 'The AI showed me a design that was a mix of Chinese and Japanese. But because I knew the difference, I could correct it.' That same philosophy guides how he finishes each piece. Regardless of how many rounds he goes with AI, the final touch is always his. Even his artist name reflects this philosophy. Keepkwan combines 'keep,' symbolizing his commitment to staying true to himself, and 'kwan,' drawn from his given name. 'I want to make sure I don't lose myself,' he said. 'That I don't get swallowed up by AI.' This clearly defined collaboration has taken him far. His work has been featured at Art Basel Miami Beach and New York's Superchief Gallery. From high school fiction to art world Keepkwan's journey began with a story he wrote in high school. He was working in strategic planning at SM C&C, a subsidiary of SM Entertainment, when he first began exploring AI in 2021. 'The job was about finding new business ideas that could support the company five or ten years down the line,' he said. As part of his research, he started looking into artificial intelligence. 'I had a feeling AI could become a big deal. But in a company, you need hard proof. You have to show how it makes money and how fast it can grow,' he said. 'At the time, there wasn't much data in Korea, so I thought, 'I'll just try it myself.'' In his spare time, he began experimenting with AI and sharing the results online, starting with visual interpretations of the story he had written years earlier. The fictional story envisioned a museum where artifacts from different timelines coexist, some from the past, others from imagined futures, each carrying its own unique backstory. 'I always dreamed of turning that story into a film,' he said. 'With AI, that dream started to feel real.' Today, in addition to his creative work, Keepkwan lectures on AI at companies like Cheil Worldwide and SM C&C. His message varies by audience, but the core remains the same: AI is a tool that can amplify creativity. 'Anyone can create something meaningful using AI,' he said. 'Just like how I brought an old story back to life.' ssh@
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
The AI artist who refuses to lose himself
AI artist Keepkwan keeps his own voice with ground rules for working with AI -- so he doesn't 'get swallowed by' it When one introduces oneself as an 'AI artist,' the question almost always follows: Who is the true creator -- the machine or the human behind it? The recent boom in AI-generated images, particularly those mimicking the look of Studio Ghibli, has made this question become even more widely asked. Yoon Seok-kwan, an "AI artist" who works under the pseudonym Keepkwan, shares this concern. While he believes originality is still possible when working with AI, he worries that much of what is being produced lacks a personal, authentic voice. 'What I worry about most is the absence of originality in the recent Ghibli image trend,' he said during his interview with The Korea Herald. 'It would be great if, by working with AI, people could create something unique. But instead, many just go for whatever looks good or is easy to replicate.' To avoid falling into that trap, Keepkwan has established a set of boundaries and creative habits that help ensure his work remains his own. 'That's why I don't use pre-existing styles. No Ghibli-style, no Star Wars-style, nothing borrowed,' he explained. 'I make my own mood and color boards. I try to develop my own visual language and create based on that.' At the same time, he acknowledges the complexity of the issue. 'It's not so easy to draw a clear line,' he said. 'When AI enters the realm of creation, we have to ask, 'What exactly is the role of the human artist?'' For Keepkwan, the key lies in transparency, being clear about how much of the work is truly his. 'What matters is how much the creator contributes, and in what ways,' he said. 'That contribution needs to be documented and proven.' To ensure that, he records his entire creative process, from the first spark of an idea in the shower to the sketches and refinements that shape the final image. 'I keep track of everything,' he said. Playing catch with AI Keepkwan describes creating art with artificial intelligence as a bit like playing catch. But he has a set of rules he never breaks. He always throws the first ball, and he decides when the game ends. 'It always starts with me making the ball,' he said. 'Meaning, it starts with my idea. If I just ask the AI tool to make something from the beginning, then to me, that's not really mine. It's the AI's.' Keepkwan says he uses multiple AI tools for his work, some of which he shares on his Instagram account and notes were "created in collaboration with AI." Also, before typing a single prompt, he spends days, or sometimes longer, researching, outlining and clarifying the purpose of the work. To him, AI is a tool best used after his creative vision is fully formed. 'To get the right answers, I need to know enough myself,' he said. To prove his point, he shared a recent project involving AI-generated images of hanbok, the traditional Korean dress. 'If I didn't know anything about hanbok, I wouldn't have been able to tell when something was off,' he said. 'The AI showed me a design that was a mix of Chinese and Japanese. But because I knew the difference, I could correct it.' That same philosophy guides how he finishes each piece. Regardless of how many rounds he goes with AI, the final touch is always his. Even his artist name reflects this philosophy. Keepkwan combines 'keep,' symbolizing his commitment to staying true to himself, and 'kwan,' drawn from his given name. 'I want to make sure I don't lose myself,' he said. 'That I don't get swallowed up by AI.' This clearly defined collaboration has taken him far. His work has been featured at Art Basel Miami Beach and New York's Superchief Gallery. Keepkwan's journey began with a story he wrote in high school. He was working in strategic planning at SM C&C, a subsidiary of SM Entertainment, when he first began exploring AI in 2021. 'The job was about finding new business ideas that could support the company five or ten years down the line,' he said. As part of his research, he started looking into artificial intelligence. 'I had a feeling AI could become a big deal. But in a company, you need hard proof. You have to show how it makes money and how fast it can grow,' he said. 'At the time, there wasn't much data in Korea, so I thought, 'I'll just try it myself.'' In his spare time, he began experimenting with AI and sharing the results online, starting with visual interpretations of the story he had written years earlier. The fictional story envisioned a museum where artifacts from different timelines coexist, some from the past, others from imagined futures, each carrying its own unique backstory. 'I always dreamed of turning that story into a film,' he said. 'With AI, that dream started to feel real.' Today, in addition to his creative work, Keepkwan lectures on AI at companies like Cheil Worldwide and SM C&C. His message varies by audience, but the core remains the same: AI is a tool that can amplify creativity. 'Anyone can create something meaningful using AI,' he said. 'Just like how I brought an old story back to life.' ssh@
