It won’t be long on Elfhome before hoverbikes are converted to weapons. Here is how they might be designed.
The design starts with a motor trike rather than a bike. This is because a true combat vehicle needs to be statically stable, not having spinning wheels to act as gyroscopes to help keep it upright, or a driver using shifting body weight to do that. A minimum of three supports will help the vehicle manage that. Static stability is especially needed when a combat vehicle halts in the air or lands while a fight is going on.
It should be a hands-off vehicle when needed. So it has an onboard micro-AI, perhaps voice controlled. We’ve nearly got that today. In Elfhome’s “current” time of 2031 AIs should be even more capable, graduating to mini-AI level. (That’s about well-trained dog level. Maxi-AI is human level intelligence but probably wouldn’t pass the Turing test. Super-AIs are more than genius-level human, eventually much more.)
Click the image to see a large view of it.
Soldiers currently use bikes to approach an enemy but not fight them. They need more controlled capability than drive-by shooting practiced by thugs and terrorists. This is the reason for hands-off guidance. This also allows driver/combatants to a use a heavy weapon. In the design displayed above a sniper rifle firing an armor or concrete piercing round is mounted on an actuating arm and aimed by an AI. (The rifle can also be detached and carried for manual firing, perhaps in a covert, hilltop, or tree.)
A bike/trike/four-wheeler can easily carry heavier loads than even the strongest human. In the image can be seen two long large green lockers plus a back-of-the-seat box. This could carry weapons, ammo, other equipment, and food and drink. A battlefield vehicle can also carry a powerful radio ground station to help fighters use a local tacnet. Or to call in air support or field artillery.
And who might design the combat trike shown? Notice the blue decal on the nose and side: on it is the letter T. Could that stand for Tinker?!
Laer Carroll 