 Wired. Solo-Tek flies. Nice. Looks like fun.
"To prevent the odd gust from crashing you into a tree, the vehicle comes equipped with a sophisticated gyroscopic stabilizing system, which Moshier said is one of the toughest parts of the vehicle to develop." This is what the Segway team has a good handle on. They are going to be the ones that solve the problem.
Paul Saffo retorts: he didn't think the flying vehicle was suitable for mass conveyance. "The moment you move through three dimensions, that takes special skills," Saffo said. "This is a specialty for military, police and less obvious things -- like power-line inspection." Who made Saffo an expert on transportation? A good control system (using todays high speed processors and microscopic gyros) combined with GPS would make flying a vehicle a "no-brainer" activity. Flight is currently tough because it requires management of lift, airspeed, and altitude. VTOL (vertical take-off or landing) directed thrust aircraft with advanced control systems don't use lift and can hover in place. Bah! This is going to be the next major upgrade to personal transportation -- for those that can afford it. Live in Nantucket, commute to Boston. Note: the 80 knots limit is there because by regulation at under 80 knots of airspeed all you need to fly the device is a drivers license!
9:21:34 AM 
|
|
