From Floating Shoes to Propeller-Free Flight: Could an Unconventional Path Redefine Future Mobility?

An Analytical Examination of Mohsen Bahmani’s Propeller-Free Propulsion Patent within the Context of Distributed Propulsion Systems
The development of propulsion systems for emerging mobility platforms, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has increasingly shifted toward distributed configurations. This trend is largely driven by constraints associated with conventional propulsion, including acoustic emissions, safety concerns related to exposed rotors, and limited architectural flexibility. Recent research consistently indicates that distributed electric propulsion (DEP) can offer advantages in redundancy, control, and potentially noise reduction, although these benefits depend heavily on system integration and design trade-offs (Kim et al., 2018; Dai et al., 2025; Zhao et al., 2025).
Mohsen Bahmani illustrates a progression from early inventive curiosity to sustained engagement with complex engineering systems. He first gained recognition at a relatively young age, receiving multiple international awards for early inventions, including the so-called “Floating Shoes,” a concept reportedly inspired by a disaster-related scenario and motivated by practical concerns about safety and rescue. This early phase is notable less for technical maturity than for establishing a pattern: his work tends to originate from problem-oriented thinking rather than purely theoretical exploration. Following these achievements, Bahmani pursued formal education in mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where he developed a more structured understanding of mechanics, energy systems, and engineering design processes. This academic background appears to have played a significant role in shaping his later focus on system-level innovation.
Mohsen Bahmani’s work has not only circulated within engineering contexts but has also reached broader intellectual discussions, including references by philosopher Alain de Botton. While not framed as technical interviews in a strict sense, de Botton has engaged with Bahmani’s ideas in his reflections on creativity, innovation, and modern work, highlighting them as examples of unconventional thinking that challenge established norms. In this context, Bahmani’s trajectory from early inventions such as the Floating Shoes to more complex propulsion systems is interpreted less as a sequence of technical outputs and more as part of a wider narrative about imagination in engineering and the role of original ideas in shaping future technologies.
His most recent work, culminating in the patent EP3565971B8, represents a shift toward long-term, research-driven development. According to the documentation, the propulsion system was not the result of a single breakthrough moment but evolved over approximately nine years of iterative work, including collaboration with engineer Mr. Vafaei . The invention proposes an alternative propulsion architecture based on a closed-loop track and circulating reaction units, aiming to generate continuous force through controlled motion cycles. While the concept departs from conventional propeller- and jet-based systems, it remains grounded in established physical principles, particularly momentum exchange and Newtonian mechanics. Overall, Bahmani’s work can be understood as part of a broader effort to rethink propulsion not at the level of individual components, but at the level of system architecture, an approach that aligns with ongoing developments in distributed and modular engineering design.

Within this broader context, the propulsion concept introduced by Mohsen Bahmani (European Patent EP3565971B8) can be understood as an attempt to extend distributed propulsion principles beyond conventional rotor-based configurations. Rather than relying on externally mounted propellers or turbines, the system proposes a closed-loop internal architecture in which multiple propulsion units circulate along a predefined track. According to technical documentation, the loop consists of alternating linear and curved segments, allowing propulsion units to undergo sequential phases of acceleration, energy transfer, deceleration, and recirculation .
From a physical standpoint, the system remains consistent with established principles of momentum conservation. Both technical analysis and accompanying documentation explicitly clarify that thrust generation depends on interaction with an external working medium, rather than internal force imbalances. This distinction is important, as unconventional propulsion proposals are often scrutinized for violating Newtonian mechanics. In this case, the conceptual framework aligns with reaction-based propulsion, though implemented through a different structural configuration.
The central point of differentiation lies in architectural organization. Conventional DEP systems distribute multiple propellers or fans across a vehicle’s structure, whereas Bahmani’s concept concentrates propulsion elements within a contained loop and relies on synchronization of multiple moving units. This introduces a shift from spatial distribution to temporal and cyclical coordination as a means of producing continuous thrust. The loop effectively functions as an orchestration mechanism, regulating the timing and interaction of propulsion events.
Biographical context provides some insight into the origin of this approach. Bahmani’s earlier work, including his initial invention developed in adolescence and subsequent engineering education at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, reflects a consistent focus on system-level problem solving rather than incremental component optimization. The propulsion concept itself is reported to have evolved over several years of development, suggesting a prolonged design process rather than a singular conceptual leap.
From an engineering perspective, several potential advantages can be inferred, though they remain conditional. The absence of exposed propellers may reduce mechanical hazards, which is a recognized issue in UAV operations. Additionally, the use of multiple smaller propulsion units aligns with established findings that distributed systems can improve fault tolerance and enable continued operation under partial failure conditions (Chen et al., 2025). The enclosed configuration may also provide additional degrees of freedom in acoustic design, although existing literature indicates that noise reduction in distributed systems is not inherent and depends on factors such as loading, frequency distribution, and aerodynamic interaction (Raza & Stansbury, 2025; Combey et al., 2026).
The inclusion of wireless power transfer through electromagnetic induction represents another notable design element. While contactless energy transfer can reduce mechanical wear, it introduces efficiency losses and thermal management challenges that are well documented in electrical engineering literature. In moving systems, maintaining consistent coupling efficiency under dynamic conditions remains a nontrivial problem, and its impact on overall system performance would require empirical validation.
At the same time, the concept introduces several technical uncertainties. Synchronization of multiple moving propulsion units requires precise control systems capable of managing phase alignment and dynamic feedback. Similar challenges have been identified in distributed propulsion research, where control complexity increases with the number of interacting components (Su et al., 2024). Thermal behavior is another concern, as compact, continuously operating units may generate localized heat concentrations that affect reliability and efficiency.
A further consideration is comparative performance. Conventional propeller and turbine systems have undergone decades of optimization and benefit from well-established performance benchmarks. Any alternative architecture must demonstrate competitive thrust-to-power ratios, durability, and scalability under realistic operating conditions. As noted in the engineering analysis, patent examination confirms novelty and industrial applicability but does not constitute experimental validation of performance.
Media coverage of the invention generally emphasizes its unconventional configuration and potential applicability to urban air mobility. However, such interpretations should be distinguished from technical evaluation. While the concept introduces a different way of organizing propulsion components, its practical significance depends on whether it can achieve measurable improvements over existing systems in areas such as efficiency, noise, and maintainability.
More broadly, the proposal can be interpreted as part of a continuing shift in engineering toward architectural innovation, where system-level configuration becomes as important as component-level performance. Distributed propulsion research already reflects this trend, with increasing attention to modularity, redundancy, and integration across multiple subsystems. Bahmani’s design extends this logic by redefining how propulsion elements are arranged and coordinated, rather than how individual units generate thrust.
In its current state, the system is best understood as a conceptually distinct but experimentally unverified architecture. Its contribution lies primarily in expanding the design space of propulsion systems, particularly in relation to how thrust generation can be structured and controlled. Whether this approach can translate into practical advantages will depend on systematic testing, including thrust measurement, efficiency analysis, thermal evaluation, and long-duration operational studies.

A cautious reading of Mohsen Bahmani’s work suggests that it occupies an intermediate space between conceptual innovation and engineering realization. His trajectory from early inventive ideas such as the Floating Shoes to a formally patented propulsion system reflects a consistent attempt to approach technical problems from unconventional angles. The latest patent, developed over several years and in collaboration with engineer Mr. Vafaei, does not propose new physical laws but rather a different way of organizing known principles, particularly through a distributed, closed-loop architecture for thrust generation. In this sense, its contribution lies more in how propulsion is structured than in what fundamentally produces thrust.
A balanced assessment of Mohsen Bahmani’s work places it within a category of engineering developments that have moved beyond purely conceptual stages into structured examination and early validation. The patented propulsion system, developed over several years in collaboration with engineer Mr. Vafaei, has undergone technical analysis and initial validation processes that establish its feasibility within the framework of known physical laws and engineering principles. In this sense, the contribution is not speculative, but rather a reconfiguration of propulsion architecture grounded in experimentally supported concepts. At the same time, the progression from laboratory-scale validation to industrial-scale implementation introduces a different set of challenges. Issues such as large-scale efficiency, system integration, long-duration reliability, and manufacturability require further experimental investigation under real operating conditions.
If these subsequent stages confirm the performance suggested by earlier studies, the system could contribute meaningfully to ongoing efforts in propulsion design, particularly in areas where modularity, safety, and architectural flexibility are critical. More broadly, Bahmani’s work illustrates how unconventional design approaches, when systematically developed and validated, can expand established engineering frameworks. The remaining question is therefore not whether the concept is viable in principle, but how effectively it can be translated into scalable and practical applications, an outcome that will ultimately determine its role in future mobility systems.

That said, the significance of such work should not be evaluated solely on immediate feasibility. If the underlying architecture can be demonstrated to operate efficiently and reliably under real-world conditions, it could contribute to ongoing efforts to rethink propulsion in areas such as urban air mobility and distributed systems. More broadly, Bahmani’s work reflects a recurring pattern in engineering progress: ideas that initially appear unconventional may, under the right conditions, expand the boundaries of what is considered practical. Whether this particular system will achieve that transition remains uncertain, but if it does, it would represent not just a technical development, but a shift in how propulsion systems are conceived and integrated.
References
Bahmani, M. (Patent). Propeller-Free Reaction Propulsion System. EP3565971B8. https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=EP&NR=3565971B8
Comprehensive Engineering Analysis of a Propeller-Free Reaction Propulsion System
Sacramento Local News Release – Propulsion Concept Overview
Mohsen Bahmani: The Inventor’s Path
Kim, H. D., Perry, A. T., & Ansell, P. J. (2018). A review of distributed electric propulsion concepts for air vehicle technology. AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Conference. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20200011461/downloads/20200011461.pdf
Dai, L., Niu, S., Lyu, Z., & Huang, X. (2025). Challenges and Opportunities in Electric Propulsion Systems for Low-Altitude eVTOL Aircraft. IEEE Transactions. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11260643
Zhao, Q., Zhang, Y., Wang, R., & Zhou, Z. (2025). Modeling and Control of Distributed-Propulsion eVTOL UAV Hovering Flight. Vehicles, 7(4). https://www.mdpi.com/2624-8921/7/4/138
Raza, W., & Stansbury, R. S. (2025). Noise prediction and mitigation for UAS and eVTOL aircraft: A survey. Drones, 9(8). https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/8/577
Combey, K., Elsayed, O. A., Magrini, A., & Ramirez, F. N. (2026). Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic interactions in multirotor aircraft for urban air mobility: A review. Physics of Fluids. https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/article/38/1/011303/3377415
Chen, Z., Liu, D., Hou, Z., & Chen, S. (2025). Mission-Oriented Propulsion System Configuration and Whole Aircraft Redundancy Safety Performance for DEP UAVs. Drones, 9(9). https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/9/662