Hovering in the air? No longer science fiction: China has launched a "flying skateboard"
Chinese startup CoolFly has unveiled Urban, the world's first manned aircraft operated while standing. The platform utilizes artificial intelligence to correct balance in real time. According to the developers, users can master flight in just 10 minutes.
The future that until recently seemed like a scene from a science fiction movie is becoming a reality: the Chinese startup CoolFly unveiled last week the Urban — the world's first electric manned aircraft designed for flight in a standing position — which has already been dubbed the "flying skateboard."
Unlike microlight aircraft or manned drones with a closed cockpit and wings, the Urban is designed as a flat, flower-shaped platform about 3.5 meters wide. Inside four petal-like assemblies are engines and propellers, fully protected by a honeycomb safety net. In the center of the surface is the standing area, capable of carrying pilots up to 1.90 meters tall and weighing up to 90 kilograms.
"The pilot simply moves a small joystick to move forward or backward, and presses a button to take off. The standing position provides a 360-degree field of view," explained CoolFly CEO Li Wei during the launch event in Hangzhou. If you want to purchase this innovative tool, which will be launched first for the Chinese market, you will have to part with no less than 100,000 dollars.
Artificial intelligence that maintains balance
The biggest challenge in standing flight is the constant change in the human body's center of gravity. To solve this, the company developed an advanced sensor system powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The system continuously and in real time monitors changes in the combined center of gravity of the human and the machine, and makes immediate adjustments. The result is an intuitive riding experience very similar to riding a Segway or a motorized scooter.
The heart of the Urban is a unique flight control system (NA80) with safety redundancy — in fact, two independent "brains" operating in parallel. Each unit includes three sensors that cross-reference data in real time. If the main system encounters a malfunction, the backup system detects it and takes command within milliseconds.
Alongside the technological backup, the vehicle is equipped with comprehensive passive and active safety systems: flight suits include airbags, a parachute attached to the entire aircraft, energy-absorbing cushions, and Lidar and computer vision systems for detecting and avoiding obstacles such as power lines and trees.
The reliability of the aircraft was put to an extreme test in February 2026, during a spectacular show in Harbin, at a temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius and a snowstorm. Two Urban-type aircraft carried artists in the air while moving in full synchronization with a fireworks and lighting show — the first demonstration of its kind in the world of a manned electric aircraft in such extreme cold conditions.
Regulatory ease and global reach
The Urban is defined as a completely electric consumer product with zero polluting emissions. The company notes that the vehicle is intended for tourism, leisure, and extreme sports, as well as for light urban transport (Urban Air Mobility). A major advantage for enthusiasts is the regulatory ease: to fly the Urban, there is no need for a pilot's license, a medical check, or even an airworthiness certificate.
In China, the first agreements have been signed to operate low-altitude tourism services, and giant insurance companies have already begun issuing comprehensive policies. On the international stage, the company presented the platform at technology exhibitions in the USA and adapted the vehicle to American aviation regulations (FAA Part 103) for microlight aircraft. Industry experts estimate that there is a high chance that the "flying skateboard" will reach direct sales to consumers in the USA and the West, even before Chinese electric cars officially break into the American market.
