Jetpacks.. When will they become mainstream ?

[Blobfish]

I have seen Jetpack Technology for at least 20 years now

LA Olympics 1984

It seems a great way of getting to work or for taking in the sights around the cities.
Beat those damm traffic jams.. YAY

When do you think they will become mainstream and available to the public, because I want one.

Surely since 1984 , a better & more safer form of Jetpack is now available.
The MIT guys must be sitting on their hands

Get Jetpacks out there and "Go the Jetsons"

[The5thVegetable]

I think the issue is less-so that we lack the technology to make them, and more-so that we lack the means of building them remotely cheaply. Not to mention, I imagine simply using them as expensive as hell- not to mention how dangerous they would be in the hands of someone who isn't trained in using them. Before jetpacks are introduced to public transport, I reckon a license should become mandatory, and building them needs to become cheap.

[Deleted]

Never, because can you imagine all the legal issues and safety issues?

[Deleted]

Never, just like flying "cars".

[zenkai]

I have seen Jetpack Technology for at least 20 years now

LA Olympics 1984

It seems a great way of getting to work or for taking in the sights around the cities.
Beat those damm traffic jams.. YAY

When do you think they will become mainstream and available to the public, because I want one.

Surely since 1984 , a better & more safer form of Jetpack is now available.
The MIT guys must be sitting on their hands

Get Jetpacks out there and "Go the Jetsons"

[IMG]http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/paleofuture/files/2012/02/1967-jetpack-sm.jpg[/]

[IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJwmmdk4c9o/VYIFaFOsYFI/AAAAAAAA_Ns/EBmO-NJgP9c/s1600/martinjetpack.jpg[/]

watch The White Rabbit Project, on Netflix, they talk about this

[Blobfish]

Never, because can you imagine all the legal issues and safety issues?

Well maybe start by giving Paramedics availability to Jetpaks.
So that they can get to an accident quick..

I agree an aviation license and security check would be required to fly one.

[Azadina]

Never. People can't even drive cars properly on roads.

[May90]

The problem with the jetpacks has always been the stability: unlike, say, parachutes or helicopters, the location of the jetpack makes it nearly impossible to fly without swinging around chaotically. Very well trained professionals can do it, and people enhancing their self-made jetpacks with complex stabilizing constructions and do it - but that's about it.

A better bet would be streamlining the production of helicopters to make them affordable for the mainstream buyer, I'd say.

[jimboa24]

Well maybe start by giving Paramedics availability to Jetpaks.
So that they can get to an accident quick..

I agree an aviation license and security check would be required to fly one.

Helicopter is better. If you're using a jetpack, and an accident victim needs to be moved there's nothing you can do. Not to mention the fact that there isn't much you'll be bringing with you.

Jetpacks are amazingly fun in principle, but in practice, they're a logistical nightmare.

[Lex Icon]

probably when you can fly around like that and the Jet part is no longer involved.

[Deleted]

Needs major revolutions in energy generation, storage and propulsion to be economically viable and safe. Like scifi level breakthroughs.

Also they won't solve traffic jams, you will just have air traffic jams instead. you really think they will let you fly wherever you want in a city? lets be real here in a city it will be autonomous control only.

[dextersmith]

Flying under influence would be so much worse.

[melodramocracy]

Pretty much never.

If / when anyone ever designs some method of truly economical, utilitarian, gravity defying individual travel, you can bet that the very first efforts will be to figure out how to limit, monitor, and tax its use, rather than actually pushing it forward.

[Blobfish]

In New Zealand they have Microlights. which are are basically a motorized Hang Glider.

Some of them crash .

However, the death toll aint to bad..about 10 a year

[Deleted]

In New Zealand they have Microlights. which are are basically a motorized Hang Glider.

Some of them crash .

However, the death toll aint to bad..about 10 a year

according to this http://www.transport.govt.nz/ourwork...-volume/tv038/

those things including other sports stuff get about 8500 flight hours per year, so 1 death per 850 hours.

now imagine how many hours get driven daily in a decently sized city and do the math.

then imagine it will be worse when there are a lot them in a small space and they use exhaust based propulsion instead of a propeller.

[zebreck]

Have you read the #s of traffic fatalities in the world every year? and you want to let random people FLY? this will not end well.

[Dangg]

Never, they will be at best as 'mainstream' as private planes and hellicopters.

[Blobfish]

Have you read the #s of traffic fatalities in the world every year? and you want to let random people FLY? this will not end well.

I was watching an Australian Rugby League game from Brisbane tonight.

And a manned Jetpack flew into the stadium before the game.

I was just thinking, how has technology stayed silent on Jetpacks , since I saw my first one at the 1984 LA Olympics.

[XDurionX]

Fossil fuels will phase out, so eventually there will be even less jetpacks than there are today. Safety issues aside.