LIEPAJA, Latvia — Elviss Straupenieks has launched an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign for AirBoard, what he’s calling the world’s smallest manned aircraft.
The all-electric personal air vehicle, featuring four propellers powered by four separate electric motors, moves in reaction to shifts in the rider’s weight, he explained.
“It is designed for moving in extreme environments, such as over water and snow or in a desert. Military and emergency services could use it for search and rescue missions, or photographers could use it to film shots from the air,” said Straupenieks.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTh9VJRnmA&w=560&h=315]
AirBoard has a thermal core system, which allows airflow from a thermal opening to flow inside the unibody and cool down the parts while passing more air to the propellers. The board is 71 inches long and 69 inches high when open, but folds down to 30 inches by 40 inches to make it portable. The production version will be made out of lightweight aluminum and titanium unibody, he said.
Users can also remotely control AirBoard using an app designed to work with the board’s built-in GPS and gyroscope. The app additionally shows information such as battery life, speed, compass and altitude. During flight, the phone sits in a holder fitted to the board’s handles, he noted.