Dubai police could zip through the city on electric hoverbikes in the new future. At GITEX technology week, Dubai’s police force unveiled a hoverbike that can fly 43 miles per hour, 16 feet up in the air. The agency is considering deploying the Hoversurf Scorpion 3 to respond to emergencies.

The Hoversurf Scorpion 3 is a battery-powered hoverbike that has a range of around 25 to 30 minutes. It can carry as much as 300 kilograms, or over 660 pounds, of weight. And it could one day allow police offers to bypass traffic during an emergency.

Hoversurf describes their Scorpion as “a single-seat aircraft that rediscovers the art of flying and hovering enable a hi-tech quadcopter-based solution.” Batteries take three hours to charge, but could be swapped out so police could continue patrolling on the hoverbike. Gulf News reported the hoverbike is going through tests right now.

New Atlas said the concept is a publicity stunt for Dubai, which also debuted firefighting jetpacks that haven’t seen much daylight since their announcement. The publication wrote about the Hoversurf Scorpion 3 earlier this year, recommending it for “aspiring amputees” because of how close spinning blades are to a rider’s legs. They pointed out it’s one thing to pioneer hoverbikes, but another to deploy them in busy public spaces.

Dubai police also debuted a electric motorbike equipped with cameras, and little autonomous robotic vehicles that have biometric software to scan for criminals. Dubai Police’s Smart Services Department director Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razooqui told Gulf News, “It can recognize people in any area and identify suspicious objects and can track suspects. It will be deployed at tourist destinations in Dubai. It has cameras and will be linked to the command room.”

Article from inhabitat.com

by Lacy Cooke