Leaping tall buildings

[citivolus]

No, really... I was just over at el Reg and found this story interesting
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/16/man_slinger/
Upon further review, it's Dean and Co.
http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060086349%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20060086349&RS=DN/20060086349

Could this be the next step toward an AirSeg?

[JohnM]

OK, everyone who believes that Dean Kamen is a true visionary and the Edison of our age, take two steps forward, don your crash helmets and line up for the beta test.

[JohnM]

http://images.entertainmentearth.com/%5CAUTOIMAGES%5CTYV15023lg.jpg

[citivolus]

I can only hope that Dean has better marketing than that.

Bovine trebuchet?? Not even close, it looks more like an onager but I suppose it could be a mangonel.

Then again, marketing history would indicate something like "soldier shooter" or worse.

[bystander]

Just saw this in Make magazine, a performance artist named Nathan Arnold (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/visualart/98450_arnold05.shtml) from Seattle Washington has been doing this for the last few years:

http://johnnyjetpack.com/schematic.htm

http://johnnyjetpack.com/schematic.jpg

Main site:

http://johnnyjetpack.com/

It doesn't quite launch people to the tops of buildings, but does the job for lightweight mannequins.

P.S. If I recall correctly, the usual reponse for being pelted by various bovine projectiles is to construct a large wooden rabbit, roll it up to the castle gates and then have the following conversation: (excerpt from "The Holy Grail: Scene 8 (http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/grail/grail-08.htm)")


ARTHUR: What happens now?

BEDEVERE: Well, now, uh, Launcelot, Galahad, and I, uh, wait until nightfall, and then leap out of the rabbit, taking the French, uh, by surprise. Not only by surprise, but totally unarmed!

ARTHUR: Who leaps out?

BEDEVERE: U-- u-- uh, Launcelot, Galahad, and I, uh, leap out of the rabbit, uh, and uh...

ARTHUR: Ohh.

BEDEVERE: Oh. Um, l-- look, i-- i-- if we built this large wooden badger--

[clank]

[twong]

ARTHUR: Run away!

KNIGHTS: Run away! Run away! Run away! Run away! Run away! Run away! Run away!

[pam]

Had an interesting phone call from a marketing company doing a "survey" - asking about non-traditional forms of transportation. Ultimately (after several minutes of general questions) he ended up asking about comparisons between Schwinn bicycles, Harley Davidsons, and the HT Transporter.

One of the questions was "would I buy a new and improved product from INC"- (and since I have 10k tied up in 2 HTs, and am a single lady and can only ride one at a time, I paused a bit before my answer LOL).

They knew my name, address and phone number, (which they repeated back to me for the iPod draw) which makes me think that it came from a list provided by INC - I assume that a regular survey would be from numbers generated by computer, but maybe I'm not aware of the technology in this area.

I would definitely buy an AirSeg :)

Pam

[GyroGo]

OK, everyone who believes that Dean Kamen is a true visionary and the Edison of our age, take two steps forward, don your crash helmets and line up for the beta test.

I think if Kamen can reinvent the wheel, the Stirling engine, the paperclip, as well as inventions including a sizable assortment of important medical products, then why not the trebuchet?

If it launches you in the seat of a Centaur, then I'll line up for the beta with just my hard skull.

[JohnM]

Folks here in Manchester reported seeing the prototype in action down at the DEKA HQ in the Millyard this week. No joke, they really built the thing.