Driving is a thing of the past. The future of mobility is taking off. Two trends are currently emerging: humanoid robots and flying devices, as well as hybrid forms that combine the two. What once seemed like science fiction is now becoming a reality. In the Beijing half-marathon, for instance, two dozen humanoid robots ran alongside the human competitors, symbolically representing the integration of technology and the human body. It wasn’t quite a moment like Deep Blue beating the world chess champion or an AI triumphing at Go – but that wasn’t the point. The message was clear: humanoid robots have arrived. Not just as a vision, but as a ‘proof of concept’.

They’re not yet as fast or efficient as their wheeled counterparts – but they don’t have to be. Their real strength lies in interaction, particularly when working alongside humans. A good example is ‘Digit’, a humanoid robot from the US company Agility Robotics. Weighing 64 kilograms and capable of carrying up to 16 kilograms, Digit navigates the world largely autonomously. Imagine a modern-day sedan chair carried by two robots at the front and back. It’s a new take on mobility: human-centred, assistive and adaptive.

Flight-Taxi Euphoria Hits Turbulence

As early as 2018, a survey by the forsa research institute showed that 41 per cent of Germans said they would be willing to take a flying taxi, with this figure rising to 65 per cent among 18- to 29-year-olds. Enthusiasm was high. Today, however, much of that excitement has dissipated. Nevertheless, the initial prospects still seem promising: by 2023, the German Association for Unmanned Aviation had registered over 400,000 drones, although most of these are privately owned. Nevertheless, the idea of a flying shuttle for the masses seems to have stalled.

One of the most high-profile setbacks was the collapse of the Bavarian company Lilium. It wasn’t a lack of investors that caused the issue, but the technology itself. The futuristic vertical take-off jet could only manage brief hovers. Suddenly, the air taxi market looked as lifeless as the Gobi Desert. Nevertheless, the industry hasn’t given up. According to forecasts by the same association, around 330 air taxis could be in operation by 2030, with approximately 70 of these dedicated solely to cargo transport. Will that happen? Scepticism remains, but one thing is clear: now is the time to pay attention.

A Patented Flying Suit

Konstantin Landuris has a dream of reaching new heights – and he means that quite literally. The Munich-based engineer and designer has already succeeded in hovering for 50 seconds using his ‘Flying Suit’. What is his goal? Nothing less than ‘a completely new kind of mobility’. It’s an ambitious promise, and not one that everyone welcomes. A glance at the comments on YouTube shows just how sceptical people are. Comments range from ‘nothing new’ and ‘rubbish’ to comparisons with Marvel’s Green Goblin. One particularly cutting remark compared the flying suit to a child’s soapbox racer being rolled down a hill. Landuris himself admits that these reactions made him think twice.

Nevertheless, he is pushing ahead. He has spent years investing time, energy and money into the project. He stopped working for pay, but continued to dream of flying. Today, the flying suit is patented and forms part of an innovation project supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs. The key lies in the details: whereas traditional jetpacks restrain the pilot, Landuris has designed a wearable exoskeleton with an integrated rotor system. This provides fall protection, distributes weight and ensures stability. Eight electric brushless motors, powered by batteries and control units, produce 1,400 newtons of thrust — enough to lift his 80 kilograms into the air. Despite its lightweight construction, the suit itself weighs a substantial 38 kilos. Following his first successful test flight, Landuris is already thinking ahead. With new motors, he aims to achieve three minutes of airtime, and eventually 15 or even 20 minutes.

Raiding Hollywood for Ideas

The dream of flight continues to captivate and draw in all kinds of pioneers. At the same time, it’s hard not to feel that the main purpose of many projects is to generate eye-catching visuals to ascertain whether there is a viable market. There’s a hint of vaporware, a touch of Hollywood, and a great deal of hope for achieving viral momentum.

A prime example is the airborne superbike from Tomasz Patan, founder of Volonaut. His futuristic ‘Airbike’ strongly resembles the speeder bikes ridden by stormtroopers through the forests of Endor in Star Wars. However, Patan isn’t relying on drone rotors; his model uses jet propulsion. The aim is to propel one person through the air at speeds of up to 200 km/h.

It’s something like a cross between a leaf blower and a ride-on lawn mower on skis — it’s ridden like a motorbike and seemingly controlled by body weight. CGI short clips show spectacular manoeuvres, but there have been no real test flights yet. At least, Patan promises a ‘modern stabilisation system’, which includes a flight computer for automatic hovering and simple controls. However, he’s still keeping quiet about fuel capacity, weight limits and age restrictions. The Airbike is built using 3D-printed carbon fibre components, which supposedly make it seven times lighter than a standard motorbike. If a full tank brings a regular machine to around 200 kilograms, that would mean a mere 30 kilograms for the Airbike. ‘Fascinating,’ Commander Spock might say — though, of course, he’s from the Star Trek universe.