Prototype of Jetson ONE personal rotorcraft demoed — tiny human-carrying drone-style flyer

[BethanyFerrell]

This looks promising, though of course it will be a challenge to mitigate the prospect of chaotic airways becoming replicas of traffic-choked highways (only more dangerous).

Like a drone that you sit in – but would you feel safe?

Personal drones that can transport one or two passengers will soon be available for anyone to buy.

www.bbc.com

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This is a prototype but it's intended to be a commercial product. Over a hundred units have been pre-ordered so far.

N.B.: Though my online persona is a genetically engineered anthropomorphic Border Collie, I am in real life a human (you'd already guessed that, no doubt) and so would in theory be able to fly one of these puppies. Erm, I mean babies. Then again, at US$92,000 apiece maybe I'll wait. The M3's price will have me eating ramen for a few years yet, and this costs as much as thirty M3 FMCs.

Still… wow.

 

[umanbean]

Then again, at US$92,000 apiece maybe I'll wait. The M3's price will have me eating ramen for a few years yet, and this costs as much as thirty M3 FMCs.

Or one Lexus LX...

 

[old man mavic]

a great way to get around your property if you had a decent sized plot ,but then you can do the same thing with a decent drone,but you are right they would be a lot of fun ,if only i was a lot younger i could see myself flying one ,sadly i dont think they will catch on anytime soon here in the UK

 

[Gagey52]

I wonder how many of those drones will end up in trees
Regards

 

[BigAl07]

That company is currently "courting" some outside investors. I would love to see Elan Musk get involved and possibly advance the battery tech on the Jetson One to get more than 20min.

 

[sancap]

I wonder how many of those drones will end up in trees
Regards

This is not a drone, it is a manned aircraft. Although I am sure many will end up in trees

 

[BethanyFerrell]

"Hello, emergency? My rotorcraft just got stuck in a tree!"

"Are you on the ground trying to get up, or in the tree trying to get down?"

 

[AnzacJack]

What concerns me with that video is how close the filming drone is getting to the guy flying this thing. Already a risky flight without adding that into the mix

 

[Capt KO]

Stayed very low to ground in video. Wonder what ceiling it has (before adding a parachute)? Anyways, sure looked fun

 

[BurntFloridian]

It is nice to see this finally get off the ground. There was a bike hovercraft that was also supposed to come out (called the Lazareth). I don't think it made it to production yet.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

It looks to me to be a slightly more advanced version of a hovercraft. It doesn't get very high off the ground. That said, I could see this as being an alternative to UTV or ATVs in difficult terrain. You wouldn't have the difficulties of land based vehicles. I am wondering what kind of an incline this thing would be capable of climbing? The video shows a vast flat plain. It conjures up a myriad of uses to my mind until uncle Bob asks you to hold his beer...

 

[G.O.D.]

Looks Fake to Me. They All do.

 

[sancap]

It looks to me to be a slightly more advanced version of a hovercraft. It doesn't get very high off the ground. That said, I could see this as being an alternative to UTV or ATVs in difficult terrain. You wouldn't have the difficulties of land based vehicles. I am wondering what kind of an incline this thing would be capable of climbing? The video shows a vast flat plain. It conjures up a myriad of uses to my mind until uncle Bob asks you to hold his beer...

The specs say it has a service ceiling of above 1500 feet.

 

[Rubenc87]

I saw the pilots knees up against the dash, makes me wonder what would happen w a crash.

 

[fragenstein]

I saw the pilots knees up against the dash, makes me wonder what would happen w a crash.

It has a parachute in the rear and will deploy when a sudden drop in elevation is detected. Obviously it won't do anything for a low elevation crash but I believe it is designed to roll forward based on the geometry of the crash bars.

 

[Rubenc87]

The other point would be that there prob is a max height a pilot can be? < 6'?

 

[TTP]

Allredy more than 100 in order, expensive toys, 70 000US$.