
Behold: The Water-Powered Jetpack - himaniamoli
http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/94271
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jonmc12
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4xb1NXvE_w> <\- this link shows of the
jetpack including a demo of a 'shark-attack' maneuver, as well as gratuitous
girls in bikinis.

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Luyt
Yeah, but I found it a bit disappointing that those girls actually don't fly
the jetlev. Maybe it requires an enormous amount of muscle power?

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msarnoff
It's a real-life version of FLUDD from Super Mario Sunshine!

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sneak
Last summer, I met the guy who does the R&D on these. Is that the coolest job
ever, or what?

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TeMPOraL
Without taking anything from Raymond Li, who did something awesome, is this
really a brand new thing, as the article seems to say? I think I remember
seeing water-powered jetpacks on TV (Discovery, I think) years back. Does
anyone remember any previous attempts on devices like that?

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dalore
Well reddit had a link to this same jetpack 2 years back. I think the news
part is that it's about to launch commercially so you can actually buy one.

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JoeAltmaier
The hose seems to act as a kite's tail, providing stability.

It is cool, but I wonder if the 'tail' reduces the feeling of free flight. It
certainly tethers you, restricting your range. Could this be useful for work
on oil spills? Marine biology? Coast guard?

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jleader
Any one else notice the motor/pump trailer spewing white smoke? I assume it's
a souped-up reorganized pwc, with a 2-stroke engine?

Clever hack, though.

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StavrosK
Yep, it looks like it's on some kind of buoy and you just sort of lug it
around. It looks very fun. Although, I don't know why an engine, a hose and a
nozzle cost 136k. I guess R&D, so I expect the price to drop to $500
eventually?

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tomhenderson
I'm sure the price will drop if they catch on but, assuming it's basically a
hacked jet-ski with a hose & harness attached to it, they still won't be
cheap. A jet ski can set you back anywhere from $10k - $50k around here, so
it's still a luxury item for most.

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StavrosK
Ah. The engine is from a jet ski, you mean? You might not be able to buy one
for cheap, but you will be able to rent one for $20, so it's still good.

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tlrobinson
Looks like a fun toy, but not a practical mode of transportation. Might as
well just use a jet ski.

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DrStalker
So long as it's marketed as a fun toy and not a practical transport there's
nothing wrong with that.

Recreation is full of inefficent ways of doing things just because they are
fun.

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mhb
I wonder how much noise it makes.

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demosthe
I want that REALLY HARD!

