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The Truth About New Jet Pack Hype
An anonymous reader writes "This week a sub-$100,000 rocket belt was unveiled and will be on sale this summer, but that's the sad thing: it's still not a real jet pack. Here's a fascinating inside look at the human-flight industry, full of law-suit scandals, technical difficulties, fuel-economy woes and endless delays. The good news? It all points to the next generation of rocketeer research, with real applications for medical rescue and military technology actually coming on the horizon. From the article: 'With a little patience, and a little funding, we could actually have the pleasure of grumbling over regulatory issues we never dreamed possible. Like being limited to specific kinds of air strips, because the jet strapped to your back is classified by the FAA as an ultralight. Or being required to wear a ballistic parachute, because Amarena's Thunderjet design could reach altitudes as high as 10,000 feet (and, for the record, speeds of up to 160 mph, provided someone can solve wind-resistance issues).'"
And there is the noise. I've been within 100 yards of one in operation, and conversation with the person next to me was impossible. They really are not fit for urban areas.
These are technical problems that can be fixed. Put in a gyro and a directional laser and a computer to control it all and you're good to go. Maybe radar and collision avoidance software as well. You shouldn't have to worry about navigating around other objects in the air; your jet pack will have all the smarts it needs under the hood to take care of such things.
As for noise, put a muffler on the jet. Of course, a Harley jet pack would probably not come with one.
I would love one of these. I am so sick of being forced to commute along this predetermined, crowded and narrow little route along with hundreds of thousands of others every day. All that tension, stress, and road rage, not to mention the speed traps. It is so dangerous and inefficient. It would be simpler, faster, and safer to just hop the 25 miles to my destination. And so much more fun.
Just imagine a city full of these devices. People wouldn't need ground garages anymore. Streets could be dug up and replanted to reverse global warming and beautify the city (but leave enough for bike lanes). No more stoplights, no more running over pedestrians.
Bring'em on!
it's = "it is"; its = possessive. E.g., it's flapping its wings.
When we had a service here in Vancouver the initial problem was that if it was classified as a boat it was not allowed to go faster than 15 knots in the harbour -
;)
and if classified as an airplane it was not allowed to fly under the Lions Gate bridge.
Some technologies simply don't fit in our pre-conceived systems.
Think of the problems we'll have when we finally crack the problem of personal anti-gravity for our vehicles
Been there, done that, paid for the T-shirt
and didn't get it
It looks like a jet pack. It's a pack, on the guy's back, and it flies -- apparently with some kind of jet-like propulsion system. Neither article appears to answer this question that the summary gives as axiomatic. Anyone know?
everything in moderation
I'd rather have some kind of liquid turned cabling on release... like a "spider's web" that I could "fling" to attach to objects and use that to propel myself through the city.
People would call me The Human Spider.
More Twoson than Cupertino
from the article:
"The number of companies looking to sell them to private consumers has increased by as much as 33 percent in the last week alone... while last year there were two commercial rocket-belt manufacturers... there are now three."
Going from two to three would be a 50% increase, not "as much as 33 percent"
Can anyone tell me how to set my sig on Slashdot?