19 November 2018

Police in Dubai testing hover-bike



This is a hover-bike on test by the Dubai police, which may presage a fleet of them going into service, writes Brian Byrne.

The machine in prototype form is essentially a large drone with a place for a rider. Power is electric, and at the moment will permit speeds of up to 100km/h and at a height of up to 4.6 metres.

A 'drone mode' allows a 40-minute range, though in action that can currently slip down to 10-20 minutes.

They'll also need to do something about protecting people from those scything rotors, or crowd control will take on a whole new meaning ...

The machine isn't cheap, the one they've taken delivery of for testing from the California manufacturer is $150,000. But then, Dubai police already use Lamborghinis and other exotic cars for patrol vehicles.