The Segway promised to become the definitive personal transport, yet today it's hard to spot one outside factories and excursions. Well, someone is convinced it's an excellent idea to take the wheels off a Segway and mount four rotors instead. In other words, AirBoard is a personal quadcopter seeking crowdfunding.
These days, the bicycle is the quintessential personal transport. Some have tried to reinvent its basic design, while others have added motors to eliminate physical effort under certain circumstances. The entire concept of personal transport has spawned all sorts of developments, both commercial and experimental. By far, the Segway has become one of the most mediatic examples, and at first glance it seems like a viable option—as long as the rider knows what they're doing. Now, from Latvia comes something that looks like a flying version of the Segway. It's called AirBoard, and it's been presented as the world's smallest manned aerial vehicle.
The AirBoard Concept
Essentially, AirBoard is a personal quadcopter concept measuring 1.8 meters long, 1.9 meters wide, and 1.5 meters high. Its four rotors, with a combined output of 40 kilowatts, should be capable of lifting almost anyone, though the official presentation doesn't reveal maximum speed, recommended altitude, battery type, or overall performance. The AirBoard can be folded for storage, and it uses an Intel processor to manage its main sensors. There will also be a dedicated app for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone to control the device—though I'm not sure how good that idea is.
The Crowdfunding Campaign
The AirBoard creators have turned to Indiegogo, seeking $30,000 to develop this concept. I always try to be moderate and constructive with criticism, and I'll try now: this crowdfunding campaign leaves a lot to be desired. First, there's no direct purchase option for the vehicle, except for a $250 payment that gives you priority access to a discounted sale. Second, the sticker, mug, and t-shirt designs offered as rewards are horrible. Third, the top reward for contributing $1,000 is having your name engraved on the chassis of the AirBoards that eventually go on sale. The campaign has been live for five days and has barely raised fifteen dollars. AirBoard is supposed to go on sale sometime in 2016. It's going to need a lot of luck.
