A jet pack designed by an Arizona State University engineer with “a touch of Wile E. Coyote in him,” according to Sports Illustrated, has been updated to be lighter and better suited for use in extreme sports.
Jason Kerestes, robotics engineer with The Boeing Company, says he was able to “eliminate quite a bit of the weight that was on the original version” by getting rid of the aluminum and plastic framing.
Wearing the new, waist-mounted version, a bicycle rider on a test run was able to increase the top speed from 39 mph to 53 mph, and a rider on a long skateboard got up to 32 mph, Kerestes said.
The jet pack gained attention two years ago when a demonstration video circulated, featuring a runner on a track wearing a backpack-style prototype. Media outlets including Sports Illustrated and Gizmodo picked up the story, explaining the original goal of increasing the running speed of U.S. Army soldiers.
“The military gets the coolest toys first,” Gizmodo wrote.
“Lookout, Road Runner!” the Sports Illustrated headline touted.
Kerestes, who studied mechanical engineering as a master’s student at ASU, said that aside from making his jet pack smaller and framing it with carbon fiber, he’s been working on new technology with medical potential.
“I’m working on designing a new exoskeleton called REST-Exo, for robotic exoskeletal support technology, to help people that have trouble standing,” he said, mentioning people with knee or ankle injuries. He wants to be able to help them “get back up and walk.”
“Anything’s possible.”
More Science and technology
From ASU to the Olympics, twice
Imagine it: the roar of the crowd flattening into white noise, the medal cool and improbably heavy against your chest, and a flag rising above your eyeline. When Mikael Örn is asked whether the real…
Deep history of democracy: Study reveals origins of self-governance go beyond Greece, Rome
When you picture the beginnings of democracy, you likely think of men draped in linen togas gathered in marble columned buildings. But the origin story of democracy is being rewritten, thanks to…
From medical training to fashion branding, CreateAI offers ASU community ways to make AI work for them
Across Arizona State University, artificial intelligence has moved beyond discussion. It is now designed, tailored and activated by the people who rely on it every day.ASU launched CreateAI across…