Video: “Flying sports car” uses drone tech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtV3qoO2L-Y

A manned “flying sports car” drone-like machine tested by Filipino inventor Kyxz Mendiola will be taken to commercial production stage by Australian electric vehicle company Star8.

That’s after a video featuring it went viral on social media.

“It was amazing,” Mendiola told Reuters after a successful first public test flight of his invention which he flew and hovered for about 10 minutes. “All the hard work paid off. Everything worked perfect.”

Star8 chief executive officer Jacob Maimon says he wants to mass produce the flying machine and market it in Australia, Europe and Hong Kong, after helping Mendiola perfect it.

Solar-powered buses, tuk tuks and scooters are made by Star8 of Brisbane, an innovative technology company offering green solutions.

The Koncepto Milenya single-seater is powered by six lithium-ion batteries, reaching speeds of up to 60km/h. It can reportedly soar as high as 120 metres.

A portable radio frequency controller is used to steer it.

“Press a button and it will go up, then push the stick forward, it goes forward. It’s very smart, that’s why I’m saying it has a lot of potential,” says Mendiola, a professional hip hop dancer.

It can carry up to 100kg and could shave hours off trips in cities affected by traffic congestion, he believes.

“When we have to go somewhere about an hour’s drive, this can take you there in five minutes,” he told Reuters

.

An added safety feature is that its 16 rotary motors allow it to keep flying, even if one or two fail.