When the calendar turned over to January 1, 2015, everyone was clamoring for their make-believe hoverboards that they were “promised” in the fictional movie Back to the Future Part II. Guess what? There’s not going to be hoverboards for the masses by October 21, 2015. Hoverboards are cool and all, but in 2015 we shouldn’t concern ourselves with hoverboards, we should be striving for HOVERBIKES! And that’s just what the United States military did.
The United States Department of Defense just announced a deal to develop a hoverbike. The DoD sought the services of the UK-based Malloy Aeronautics, a company that has been attempting to make the hoverbike a reality for the last few years.
Malloy tried to finance their project by starting a Kickstarter for their ambitious project. By the end of the crowdfunding campaign in September of 2014, they had 451 backers who pledged $72682.05, more than doubling their original goal of $34,000.
The Army believes that the hoverbike is ideal for search and rescue or cargo delivery missions. That role could expand into surveillance. The hoverbike would be a much cheaper alternative than helicopters, plus it offers maneuverability in tight spaces. It will operate autonomously or with a human pilot.
Forget hoverboards, how sick would it be to have a speeder bike like from Star Wars?
The Department of Defense believes that Malloy’s version is safer than most hovercrafts because the rotors are guarded. Just watch out for trees on Endor.
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi – Speeder Bike Chase Scene with Score from Space Monkey on Vimeo.
[TheVerge]