In October 2026, videos of a young man standing upright on a glowing platform as it lifts off, hovers, and glides over mountains, city streets, and the Yangtze River went viral across Chinese social media and international outlets.
The rider is Song Xingyu, better known online as Shenqi Ayu or Amazing Ayu. A self-taught Gen Z maker from rural Badong County in Hubei Province, he turned a childhood obsession with the Green Goblin’s glider from the Spider-Man films into a working electric flying board built largely from consumer-grade parts.
The achievement is striking not because it invents personal flight from scratch but because of who built it, how quickly, and under what constraints.
Song, was born in 2000, he left school at 14 to work in his father’s lumber business, later took construction-site jobs, and faced failed entrepreneurial ventures that left him with significant debt. He taught himself mechanics, flight control, and practical AI applications. His project shows what determined DIY engineering plus accessible technology can achieve in a short time.
Song’s Inspiration and the First Prototype That Caught Fire
Song has said that since elementary school the Green Goblin’s flying board stood out to him as one of the most practical sci-fi gadgets: a device you could step onto anywhere and simply rise into the air. He set out to make a rideable version as the first installment of a series he calls “Dreams Built by Hand”.
His initial approach used jet propulsion. The first prototype mounted five turbojet engines with enough combined thrust, he claimed, to lift three adults. During early full-power testing the engines were positioned too close together. Hot exhaust reflected off the ground and back into the intakes, causing fuel lines and wiring to catch fire. The prototype was damaged. Song fed the failure data into an AI system for analysis; it confirmed the exhaust-recirculation problem and recommended switching to electric propulsion.
The Electric Redesign and AI Flight Coach
Version 2.0 uses ten brushless electric motors, each rated at more than 30 kg of thrust, for a combined capacity Song describes as enough to lift four adults. Peak current draw reaches about 2,000 amperes. The board is controlled largely by body weight and a throttle ring or similar simple interface; small shifts in stance cause drift, making balance the central challenge.
To solve that, Song created an AI posture-coaching system from two STEPX Neo devices. One phone mounted on the board monitors real-time posture and flight data. The second, worn on his wrist, delivers spoken corrections through Bluetooth earbuds—“Weight’s shifting left,” “Bend your right knee.” After more than ten days of intensive practice, he achieved reliable control and began flying in more open environments.
Public Flights and Viral Reach
In mid-October 2026, Song demonstrated the board near Badong, flying over sections of the Yangtze, through town areas, and along the Baren River scenic canyon.
One flight covered roughly 300 meters in a little over two minutes before a controlled landing. Footage also shows low-altitude hovering, takeoffs, and landings. He later appeared with the board at a related tech event in Shanghai.
Videos posted under his handle quickly accumulated millions of likes on Douyin and drew coverage from CGTN, Xinhua, Interesting Engineering, and others.
The craft is experimental, uncertified for commercial use, and relies on exposed propellers, so safety margins are those of a skilled pilot on a homemade platform rather than a production aircraft.
Context, Caution, and What It Represents
Song is no stranger to ambitious, high-risk DIY projects. Earlier efforts have included a helium-balloon high-altitude attempt, a jet-wing jump from a helicopter, a homemade jet aircraft that crashed with a forced landing and minor injuries, and a large custom boat that sank after he was reportedly scammed, contributing to earlier debt.
These episodes underline both his persistence and the real dangers involved. Personal flight vehicles—ducted-fan platforms, electric VTOL boards, and jet-powered variants—have been demonstrated by other inventors and small companies for years.
What stands out here is the rapid iteration from failed jet prototype to controllable electric board, the integration of off-the-shelf AI tools for real-time coaching, and the fact that a rural self-taught maker with limited formal education produced a publicly flown, rider-standing platform in roughly two months of focused work.
Battery life, propeller safety, weather tolerance, emergency systems, and regulatory approval remain open questions. Song has indicated he continues testing and wants to fly higher. For now the board remains a striking proof-of-concept rather than a product.
In an era when personal aerial mobility is often discussed in terms of billion-dollar eVTOL programs and regulatory roadmaps, Song Xingyu’s Green Goblin-inspired board offers a different reminder that determined individuals with accessible motors, sensors, and AI assistance can still turn a movie fantasy into something that actually leaves the ground.
The Yangtze flights may be short and low, but the video of a young maker standing upright above the river has already traveled much farther.
