VW Hovercraft Bring Us One Step Closer to the Jetsons

Zhang Yuan, a 21-year-old Chinese designer, has plans for a vehicle called the Volkswagen Aqua that can hover and thereby negotiate all kinds of terrain, including road, sand, ice, snow and water! The design for the invention has been shortlisted in the annual Car Design Awards competition, sponsored in part by Volkswagen.

Yuan's design calls for four powerful fans in conjunction with airbags to give the vehicle its hover power. The ultra smooth and futuristic design also includes an expansive panoramic windshield and a hatch entrance from the back.

Yuan wanted the machine to be futuristic through and through and so she has designed it to run on two motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The first motor controls the hovering action of the vehicle while the second one directs its motion. Fuel cell technology, which is already available, will ensure that the vehicle has no carbon emissions.

The vehicle was designed in response to Volkswagen’s call for a ‘Chinese off-road vehicle,’ but it's obvious that it could have a very widespread appeal. Yuan describes her aspirations for the hovercraft to the The Nation: ‘I hope Aqua will become an affordable supercar that is available to the general public one day.’

The current design will allow the vehicle to travel at speeds of up to 62 mph and to transition seamlessly between different surfaces. The combination of the futuristic design, high-tech hovercraft system and low environmental impact of the Aqua is sure to gain a lot of attention and could could pave the way for the personal vehicle of the future.

Credit: Zhan Yuan/Volkwagen, Car Design Awards