This bike may lack the quintessential British charm of a Raleigh Chopper but it can be created from nothing more than powder.

The Airbike, made by aerospace company EADS, is made out of high-strength nylon powder and built using a process called additive-layer manufacturing.

To make the bike, a computer-controlled machine sprinkles successive layers of nylon powder on top of each other and then fuses them together using a laser in order to create a solid object. Each layer is printed out in a pattern that matches the design of a 3D computer model of the bike.

It might not look too comfy, but the bike features auxetic design that allows it to flex to provide some cushioning.

Caption: Nick Heath, Silicon.com

Photo: EADS