German University Students Design Air Thrust Hovercraft [Hovercraft]

In a move that will cheer up lovers of vehicles that can travel on both water and (very flat) land, students at a German engineering university have built a one-person hovercraft that uses an air thrust system to move and steer.

Folks over at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences use a pneumatic propeller that pushes air through two channels. Each of the channels has a pair of flaps that behave like the thrust-reversing system of a turbo-drive to help a user easily maneuver left or right, go in reverse, and brake.

The way the project is set up hints that the students are looking to mass produce their hovercraft, though I'm not really sure how strong the market is for personal amphibious vehicles. Judging by the video on the site though, maybe they're planning on turning a parking lot into a hovercraft bumper car lot? Oh my god, I think I just stumbled upon the best idea ever. [Festo via Gizmo Watch]