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Company Brings the ‘Star Wars’-Like Hover Bike You’ve Always Wanted One Step Closer to Reality

Aug. 21, 2012 2:46pm Liz Klimas

A California-based company has taken a science fiction design similar in concept to “Star Wars” speeder bikes, which were featured most notably in the “Return of the Jedi” chase scene, and refined the technology to make it feasible for human use.

InnovationNewsDaily reports the firm Aerofex has fixed stability issues with such a hover craft by including a control bar at the the users knee level that allows the pilot to better lean and balance the vehicle.

Aerofex Tests Star Wars Hover Bike and Seeks to Market it as a Military Drone

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

“It essentially captures the translations between the two in three axis (pitch, roll and yaw), and activates the aerodynamic controls required to counter the movement — which lines the vehicle back up with the pilot,” De Roche told InnovationNewsDaily. “Since [the pilot's] balancing movements are instinctive and constant, it plays out quite effortlessly to him.”

The vehicle has been tested in California’s Mojave Desert and in more crowded conditions. See it in action:

De Roche told InnovationNewsDaily the company is not ready to market it for human use yet but sees a future for the craft as an unmanned aerial vehicle by the military:

Even the soldiers or Special Forces might use such hover drones to carry or deliver heavy supplies in the tight spaces between buildings in cities. U.S. Marines have already begun testing robotic helicopters to deliver supplies in Afghanistan.

The hovering drones would not fly as efficiently as helicopters because of their shorter rotor blades, but their enclosed rotors have the advantage of a much smaller size and safety near humans.

“They are less efficient than a helicopter, which has the benefit of larger diameter rotors,” De Roche explained. “They do have unique performance advantages, though, as they have demonstrated flight within trees, close to walls and under bridges.”

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Here’s another demo of the bike:

The video description of the clip above, which is Aerofex’s latest on its YouTube channel, provides more information about the bike’s features:

On this last flight of the test-bed before rework, the favorable downwash of ducted fans is clearly visible. Dust and debris are pushed away from the pilot, even while flying close to the ground.

The ducts prevent tip vortices from forming and isolate the fans from the external flow field. The latter quality permits unperturbed flight around obstacles and when transitioning indoors.

In contrast, the recirculating flow of open rotors has earned it a name, and the bane of pilots: “helicopter brownout” in the desert and “helicopter whiteout” in snow.

A second prototype has a flight planned for October of this year, while an unmanned version is coming in 2013, according to InnovationNewsDaily.

Check out more videos of the Aerofex bike here. Read more about Aerofex on its Flight Log here.

As a bonus, in case you needed to see it for comparison purposes, here is the chase scene from Return of the Jedi with the speeder bikes (Note: the bikes come in around 1:25 in the clip):

(H/T: Fox News via Blaze reader Jeffrey H.)

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Comments (49)

TheMajority
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 7:00pm
Looks like fun, but hardly practical. Hover crafts need a fairly flat surface to propel off of, and will get grounded any time it goes over a gully or other surfaces that are not flat enough to keep the pressure even about the vehicle . The noise is loud, and dust goes everywhere. Stick to a dirt bike that can traverse almost any ground, and keeps the dust behind you. Switching to these, would be like trying to make wind mills run factories full of 440 volt machinery running 3 shifts a day. It just is not going to work very well.

It helps, to have some engineering background, to see what will work and what will not.

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- TheMajority
  Posted on August 22, 2012 at 1:25am
  Look, I hate the attack on Christianity also. But I don’t think you undersatand how much of a turn off it is to interject it into any conversation. There are better ways of recruiting.
  
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YAHspeaksTOthisGENERATION
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 6:27pm
“”Thus says The Lord of Hosts to all the sons and daughters of this, the last generation of men: You have all inherited the error of your fathers! You have altogether become like them! Behold, you have surpassed the sins of ancient Egypt, when I poured out My wrath upon them! Your wickedness has increased beyond every tribe, people, and nation, which has dwelled upon the earth!… THIS GENERATION IS WICKED BEYOND MEASURE!
Thus great wrath is stirred up and My indignation has come to the full! My anger is fully aroused and shall surely be poured out!… RECOMPENSE for all nations! RECOMPENSE for all these churches of men who have spoken presumptuously in My name! RECOMPENSE for all these corrupt workers who have done falsely on My behalf!… I HAVE NOT SENT YOU!
And you, O peoples of the earth, I have seen how you perform every form of evil at your leisure! You cease not from reveling in that which I hate! Behold, you murder the innocent day and night and plot evil against your neighbor! You stand up for the rights of those who commit abomination and clap your hands as wickedness is celebrated openly in the streets!… O MOST PERVERSE AND ABOMINABLE GENERATION, SHALL I NOT REPAY?!

THE TIME HAS COME!…
Hear the WORD of the LORD spoken to THIS modern generation!…

Letters from God and His Christ, given to a modern man for modern man’s sake!…

http://www.TrumpetCallofGodonline.com

http://trumpetcallofgodonline.com/index.php5?title=ABASEMENT

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- FoxholeAtheist
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 6:57pm
  What? Because of hover bikes? You really are an idiot.
  
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yanki161
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 5:12pm
That both the videos are without sound makes me think the decibel levels are off the charts. Still, keep up the good work, innovators.

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- Too_Far_Gone
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 5:49pm
  They didn’t build that ..
  
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- dasbunker
  Posted on August 22, 2012 at 8:21pm
  Why don’t they have a skirt on this thing?
  Don’t know what the power source is, but should be able to be muffled.
  
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THX-1138
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 5:06pm
I’ll wait for the anti gravity drives…

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- Macman1138
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 8:46pm
  My thoughts exactly….
  
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- The-Monk
  Posted on August 22, 2012 at 2:02am
  Looks like a giant twin blade “vege-matic”….. don’t trip.
  
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zjak
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 4:58pm
Nah, they didn’t built that!!!

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snrub
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 4:30pm
Ok, I buy one of these things and take off down the highway at 130mph; will I get a ticket? I’m not on the highway I’m above it. Also do I have to pay road taxes on my fuel?

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- FoxholeAtheist
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 6:59pm
  It’s from your favorite place; California. So, I guess you won’t be wanting one then.
  
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paperpushermj
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 4:11pm
Interesting way to get through a mine field.

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- the_truth_or_not
  Posted on August 22, 2012 at 12:07am
  Your really onto something there. I think they did say it might have military uses although as ucavs. They might think about manned transports for mine fields, or in todays environment, IED field transport.
  
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- Southerner01
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 1:27pm
  Maybe they could fly them unmanned through mine fields, dragging long ropes with heavy weights on them, far enough back to trigger the mines without hurting the craft? Maybe something like heavy plastic bottles of water, that will explode harmelssly with non dangerous shrapnel?
  
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Master_and_Commander
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:59pm
that is seriously one of the coolest things I have ever seen! Speeder Bikes aren’t too far away after all haha

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- Gorp
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 4:13pm
  Can’t wait for them to get a highway speed version.
  
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randy
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:57pm
Someone let me know when they come up with an Anti Gravity Bike, then I’ll be impressed, until then…….. Yawn.

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FaithfulFriend
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:54pm
Someone call the EPA, this thing kicks up dust and must be shut down immediately and the operator punished to protect all the rest of us, which includes not only people but plants and animals.

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- Gorp
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 4:12pm
  Got that right! There’s probably some endangered bug out there that he just blew away.
  
  Poor, Poor Bug! ROFLMAO
  
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lukerw
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:45pm
The HoverCar goes back to the 50′s… and only the lack of High Speed Computers, to stablize the performance, prevented it!

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- Redwood Elf
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 6:25pm
  Hovercraft are fairly commonplace. It’s the lack of need for a skirt by using ducted fans that makes this a major improvement.
  
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Black Manta
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:38pm
Ahhh yes…and this is how they will be rounding you up in the NEAR future…MARTIAL LAW…ILLUMINATI….NEW WORLD ORDER….WORLD TAKE OVER…REMOVE THE BIBLE….try and not to stay sleep sheeple….Shalom..

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gyro5
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:35pm
Heck with Star Wars. It looks like a wappa from the Gundam franchise.

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TheBurningTruth
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:31pm
Interesting that the hover-bike never gets more than a couple of feet off the ground. I wonder how much of it’s “lift” comes from ground effect? Not only would that limit it’s operational height to just a few feet, it would also cause problems if it were to cross over significant discontinuities on the ground. A simple experiment would be to construct a short shallow staircase (5 or 6 steps would probably suffice) and then fly it up the staircase. If it were flying totally on its own, it would be able to do that.

Or maybe we strap a Progressive Liberal on to it and send it off a cliff. If he survives then the craft is production worthy, and if not, well we have plenty more Liberals for further testing.

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- Chuck Stein
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:51pm
  I know that water craft using the surface effect are classed as ships and not aircraft if they can’t rise above the surface by a certain amount. Still, I see vehicles that make use of the ground effect as flying totally on their own. It’s not as if they are supported by strings or something.
  
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GENEPAGLIARI
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:27pm
Will the gubmint pay for my hover bike instead of my hoverround wheelchair?

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ReaganBaby
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:15pm
Looks awesome! I wonder when the usage tax will be imposed for using the air since these wont be driving on the roads?

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:12pm
What will obama claim when private enterprise doesn’t even use the roads that “THEY PAID FOR” in the first place? Will he A. blame or B. take credit for hovercrafts?

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- TheBurningTruth
  Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:27pm
  The ultimate “Irresistible force meets Immovable Object” argument coming:
  
  Barry’s “You Didn’t Build That” colliding with Al Gore’s “I Invented That” claim!
  
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Kupo
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:11pm
Pretty cool, but speeders in the Star Wars universe maintained lift with repulsor (i.e. anti-gravity) technology. So comparing this thing with SW speeders is like comparing the foot-powered cars in The Flintstones with a Ferrari F70.

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Sherlock01
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:09pm
Nice but I really want a Lightsaber.

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totheRepublic14
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:08pm
About time we caught up with Star Wars. Next we need a Tardis to go back in time and stop Obama from being elected in 2008.

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commonsenseguy
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:04pm
hey,they did not build that, the government helped them and when it is up and running right and ready for the public,the government will take over the rights and will leave the builders with nothing but a big tax bill and a pile of bills. remember no one can do any thing or have any thing in this country anymore unless the democommies say you can.

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SquidVetOhio
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 3:03pm
Holy cow I want one of those!

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Sirfoldallot
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 2:56pm
Won’t be long 4 a Gov. bail out or a ride into the future.

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ZAP
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 2:55pm
This be good to take the goose crap off the fairways

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MittensKittens
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 2:54pm
That’s cool stuff…now if we can figure out how to make Obama float away, well, you know.

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