A viral video of a Star Wars–style hoverbike zipping across the landscape divided opinions earlier this year, with many suggesting computer trickery had been used. Now, Polish company Volonaut has confirmed that the futuristic vehicle was not generated by AI, and is very much real. In fact, the vehicle, called the Airbike, will go into production in limited numbers next week. However, if you want to get your hands on one, you'll need to start saving. The Airbike will retail at the eye–watering launch price of 649,000 ( 880,000).

A company say they have developed a Star Wars-inspired speeder bike that can zoom to 124mph. Poland-based Volonaut says their Airbike is the first'hoverbike' vehicle of its kind that does not use propellers to fly. Incredible videos show someone sitting on the device as it appears to effortlessly glide through the air. At one point it hovers remarkably steady as the rider lifts a hand to wave at the camera. The firm says: 'This groundbreaking design shares a lot of similarities to'speeder bikes' featured in popular science-fiction movies.'

A hoverbike that can travel at 62 miles per hour for up to 40 minutes made its U.S. debut this week at the North American Auto Show in Detroit. The flying bike is the work of Aerwins, a Delaware-based company that makes drones and unmanned vehicles. Although it conjures up futuristic Jetsons visions of s oaring high above New York City's notoriously clogged streets, you probably won't be riding the hoverbike out to John F. Kennedy Airport anytime soon. The Xturismo currently costs $777,000, although Aerwins says it will develop a smaller model next year, as well as an all-electric model in 2025 to sell for about $50,000. 'I feel like I'm literally 15-years-old and I just got out of Star Wars and I jumped on their bike,' Thad Scott, co-chair of the auto show, told Reuters.

"The current trialling of emerging technologies such as driverless cars, autonomous robots and drones shows there is a blueprint for new forms of transport to move out of the realms of science fiction and into the real world," he said.

With the rise of the autonomous machine revolution, there has been an acceleration in the development and deployment of robotics across a broad range of industries. This includes fields such as emergency response where each minute is critical as victims must wait for help or supplies to arrive. Yet high-tech drones could decrease that waiting time significantly. SURVICE Engineering company is contributing to these efforts by producing droids that are capable of speedily delivering medical supplies and supporting the Department of Defense.

The makers of the world's first hoverbike have revealed plans for a self flying air taxi that seats five. Hoversurf, whose hoverbikes are used by police in Dubai, is launching a new product known as'The Formula Project'. It uses fold-away wings and 52 tiny turbine Venturi propulsion units - and its makers say experience is not necessary to navigate the skies. The Hoversurf drone taxi operates with'no human factor involved', and its wings fold up, allowing it to fit in a standard car park space. They also include 80-centimeter platforms and can be parked in regular parking spaces.

Popular Mechanics reported Tuesday, that the Russian arms manufacturer, Kalashnikov, which made the famed AK-47 rifle is embarking on a new project -- designing hoverbikes. The concept is similar to many existing hovercraft and flying car concepts -- it is battery operated and stays in the air using 16 sets of rotors. The vehicle, which hasn't been named yet, was showcased at Russian defense giant Rostec's headquarters on Tuesday. While the company has ventured into aviation with this latest effort, it will continue to make weapons and artillery, including the AK-47. The company has been recently diversifying and is actually combining its weapons capabilities with self-navigating vehicles. Earlier this month, the company showcased its BAS-01 BM "Soratnik" self-driven vehicle with a gun turret, which can be autonomously fired.

It's been a year since the U.S. Army began researching the use of a British-built hoverbike as an autonomous delivery drone for battlefields, and it recently showed off its progress. The Army is hoping to develop the drone so that it can fly supplies to troops in combat zones, removing the need for risky ground transport missions. It boasts some impressive stats for carrying out such missions: The drone, dubbed the Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle (JTARV) in military-speak, has four rotors, and can carry up to 300 pounds (130 kilograms) of material at speeds of up to 60 mph. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory and U.S. Marine Corps are researching the drone with Malloy Aeronautics, a British company that originally developed the drone as a hoverbike. On Jan. 10, the Army demonstrated the drone to Dr. William Roper, director of the Strategic Capabilities Office at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Okay, so maybe the 21st century under-delivered on the whole flying car thing, but it appears we're a lot closer to another form of personal flight than you probably thought. It seems the hoverbike, a tried and true addition to any futuristic science fiction arsenal, is already a reality. Hoversurf just released a trailer for its first fully manned hoverbike, built on a heavy duty drone platform called the Scorpion 3, and it's just as cool as it sounds. The video shows off the team's successful attempt at a fully manned hoverbike -- and just seeing the speedy contraption in action is enough to get your blood pumping -- but the real star of the show here is the Scorpion 3 drone platform. Hoversurf built the Scorpion 3 platform to be used in a number of different applications, and the hoverbike seen here is just one of those.

Remember those speeder bikes in Star Wars that raced through the air? Soldiers and Marines may get to zoom around the battlespace on a type of real-life version in the not-so-distant future. The new vehicle (which flies using rotors) has been dubbed the Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle, or JTARV. Malloy Aeronautics and SURVICE Engineering Company teamed up to further develop Malloy's Hoverbike for the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. The U.S. military believes it could possibly carry teams rapidly and nimbly throughout the battlespace, and a robotic version could even be used to deliver supplies by itself.