Friends: the future has arrived. The technology that we have seen in movies like Blade Runner or Star Wars: Return of the Jedi may not be as far away as we imagine and may no longer be a utopia.
The number of advances with which science surprises us every day has made it possible for concepts such as “facial recognition” or “drone” to become part of everyday life. However, it seems that soon it will be necessary to incorporate a new term into our technological vocabulary (increasingly increasing): that of “flying motorcycle”.
Dubai, the prefabricated city where appearances reignand where there is the conception that the one who has the most is the one who is worth the most, this revolutionary means of transport will soon be incorporated into its extensive fleet of police vehicles. Thanks to these hoverbikes, it is expected that it will be easier to stop drivers who are traveling faster than the permitted speed or criminals who are on the run.
Let’s learn more about this prodigy of engineering.
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What is the Hoverbike?
Scorpion-3 is the name given to the prototype with which the Hoversurf company has named its new toy. Based on the frame of a motorcycle, its design incorporates elements of a drone and a helicopter, giving it a very futuristic look.
The Hoverbike is capable of reaching 50 kilometers per hour and rising more than 5 meters above the ground; In addition to being able to carry up to 300 kilos of weight, according to various information. Its power source is electric and can be controlled remotely from approximately 6000 meters away.
However, they have been specially designed so that they can be manned by police officers during their patrols.
Other firms also tried their luck with flying motorcycles
The race to launch these motorcycles has been taking place for a long time. Already in the 1960s, an attempt was made to replace the two wheels of motorcycles with two blades that would allow them to be lifted off the ground. Unfortunately, the idea had to be discarded because the artifact could not stay elevated for too long.
Companies like Aerofex, one of Hoversurf’s direct competitors, already carried out a first test in 2012 in which it seemed that they had overcome the obstacle, making their design respond according to the movements made by the pilot. A year later, they repeated the experience, this time without anyone at the controls.
However, it has been Hoversurf who have been ahead of the competition (in addition to Aerofex there is also another big one like Malloy Aeronautics) and have been chosen to equip the Dubai police force with the new transports.
Some limitations to overcome
Despite the futuristic idea of walking around Dubai and seeing these peculiar drones flying over our heads, it seems that the friends of Hoversurf are going to have to continue working to outline some imperfections of their device.
The main enemy of the Scorpion-3 is the high temperatures of Dubaiand the sand blown by the wind when it blows hard; something that can disable your controls and should be repaired as soon as possible. After all, sandstorms are common in the city (not to mention extreme heat).
Another obstacle that should be reviewed as soon as possible, if you want the Hoverbike not to remain a good idea badly carried out, is its autonomy. For now, these flying motorcycles have a charge that only lasts between 25 and 30 minutes , something impractical if we take into account the hours that the police must be patrolling during each shift.
After all, the idea of having to stop to recharge the battery of your vehicles every half hour does not seem like it would be very convenient, much less if you are in full pursuit of a fugitive from the law.
Future plans for Dubai: a fleet of air taxis
The expansionist agenda of the United Arab Emirates does not end here: since the summer of 2017, the inclusion of flying taxis that will cross the sky of Dubai has begun, which once again demonstrates the will to position itself at the head of practically everything.
The main objective is for this alternative to four wheels to end up accounting for 25% of the city’s transport, something that will counteract the roar of the engines of the sports cars that so humbly circulate through its streets and that will have positive repercussions for the environment.
You can see how the first unmanned flight with these drones was:
One more sample of Dubai’s flaunting
After this apparent commitment to the environment, there are those who see one more evidence of the excessive ego on the part of the rulers of the Emirates, too guided by the appearances and to see who has the longest jet.
Examples such as Hoverbikes or air taxis serve no more than to illustrate (again) the extravagance that underlies so much opulence and bragging, which will be used as a claim for tourism. Let’s remember that, in addition to the innumerable luxury shops, high-end cars or huge skyscrapers; In the Dubai Mall, there is one of the largest aquariums in the world.
More than 65,000 marine species live in this huge fish tank, including several species of sharks, which will surely prefer to be photographed by onlookers through a glass partition rather than swimming free in the sea.
In the same way, the Atlantis hotel has a water tank that, until recently, was the home of a whale shark named Sammy and that was released after many animal protests. Very necessary for a hotel, whose main purpose is to provide bed and food to its guests, to house such a collection of animals in captivity, right?
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