Update March 29,2022: The company tested the flying motorbike in front of a live audience in Japan.
you could watch footage of the trial below.
Well, seeing hoverbikes in movies presenting futuristic and semi-human societies is normal, I guess.
But seeing them in real life can be mind-blowing, super weird, what-the-fuck you name it.
So, I was extremely surprised when Japanese startup A.L.I.
Technologies unveiled itsXturismohoverbike last November at a race track near Tokyo.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
This time the bike managed to fly more steadily, going up significantly higher.
Check it out below:
So, how does it work?
Basically, the Xturismo is what happens when you place a motorcycle on top of a drone platform.
And this makes it an VTOL, meaning avertical take-off and landing aircraft.
The hoverbike is also a hybrid, getting its power from a conventional engine and four electric motors.
The beginning of urban air mobility?
Well, I wouldnt say so.
But we might well be witnessing the seeds of a future (far, far-off future) model.
For starters, the Xturismos hardly offers a breathtaking performance.
The driver (or should I say pilot? )
travels slowly for just a few minutes.
And besides, its not even allowed on-road, raising the question of where you launch and land.
Is it road-legal?
Not in Japan or anywhere in the world for that matter.
And youd be totally right.
Whats it good for?
The idea is that, once A.L.I.
In 2019, American company Jetpack Aviation announced the development of its military/commercial flying bike, theSpeeder.
And its $300,000 cheaper in case youre on a budget.
HT Reuters,Autoevolution
Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW.
With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
