When Paramedics Grow Wings
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Anyone who has gotten to spend hours in traffic around the city must have often daydream about a vehicle that could fly above the intersection and hover to the desired destination.
Well, we are still a bit far from pressing a button and spreading our car’s wings, but we are nearing the day when we can take-off by ourselves – an ability which will serve no one as usefully as first responders. The idea is nothing new, with many action films displaying a wide variance of how our wings might look like, but once more we are standing a step before our wildest fantasies come true in real life.
The “Jetpack” is a personal flying platform being developed these days and is due to enter the market already at the end of next year. This of it as the bikes of the sky, capable of maneuvering in crowded areas and pass obstacles both on the ground and in the air, and of course – take-off and land.
Several companies are already working on creating such a platform, each company trying to offer a solution to a certain need. This technology, although probably great for many applications, at this early stage is drawing attention mostly from Hi-Tec engineers and pilots. Others, however, see it as a disturbing concept, an issue to be dealt with in matters of privacy and safety. These concerns are very much aligned with the claims of those against drones, and, much like the drone, the Jetpack could also be operated by the operator using it or be remotely controlled.
Not to worry, developers haven’t forgot the safety issue and are already working on an essential safety system for the platform, such as a ballistic parachute to bring the user safely to the ground in case of a technical malfunction. Before you get excited, it should be noted that, at least at first, this new toy could cost more than $200,000. Here is a chance to start saving for something a bit more efficient than a car.
