The jetpack is arguably the most game-changing method of transport one could envision using technology available today. However, despite some progress, a jetpack-powered commute still seems a very long way in the future. Not to be daunted by this, Australian designer Marc Newson has turned his hand to producing a compelling jetpack design concept, dubbed the “Body Jet.”
The Body Jet boasts the designer's usual flair for beautiful simplistic style and harks back to a time when many felt jetpack travel and flying cars to be just around the corner. Indeed, rather than a toy for the rich, the Body Jet concept appears to be more comparable to Ford's iconic Model T, and could be imagined as the vehicle which finally brings jetpack travel to the masses.
Newson's design features a carbon fiber yellow and black body, with a single large engine providing thrust. A dual-joystick setup is employed for controlling the jetpack, and the Body Jet would reportedly contain enough fuel for approximately 45 - 60 minutes of air time.
The Body Jet was commissioned by a French aerospace company and remains a concept at present – fingers crossed we'll soon see such a device brought to market.
Source: Marc Newson via CoDesign
It would be neat to see it in a movie like a similar one used in the Cody Banks movie.
I think it would be cool if it was powered by a tiny turbo prop engine.
1. Forget stands, it should fly directly to the user's back and position itself for fitting. 2. No complex two-joystick controls. To be massively adopted, it has to be completely autonomous. Set waypoint and forget. It should avoid obstacles. Google already does this in its cars. 3. Low noise.
Could this be re-engineered as an alternative to traditional aircraft ejector seats or, with the necessary structural considerations built into the fuselage, integrated into passenger seating on larger airliners (i.e. Escape pods)?