Eco Transport 2.0: It’s Leaps and Bounds

When I was nine years old - I just knew something along just these lines was in our futuristic future!

My Jetpack: finally! Here it is; invented by German aerospace engineer Alexander Boeck, and first seen (by me) in the Chinese Olympics. Here, finally, on sale in stores near you, at $269; is that new high tech transport!

I am so down for casually commuting to work at 25 miles an hour, and striding nine feet at a time, and loping gracefully along with the occasional leap over a short building or two.  All while looking like some kind of robotic gazelle - - and one that is two feet taller than me!

And the carbon footprint of this amazingly delightful form of transport? It’s Zilch!

• » See also: Heathrow Airport Gets Fleet of Electric Shuttle Cars
• » Get Gas 2.0 by RSS or sign up by email.

Of all the various bionic assisted-mobility options being developed; like those muscles that help nurses lift 300 pound people and that help the military carry incredible weights; this one is the most charming. It adds an almost superhuman grace to mere mortals.

This transportation 2.0 solution builds on the natural way that we bipeds actually do move - (note that there are no wheels in nature) - one leg after the other.

The inventor studied kangaroos to develop his idea. The Powerbock gives humans an artificial Achilles tendon like kangaroos and ostriches have. The 3 foot long springs use the body’s own weight to generate power. Like a trampoline, the spring accumulates, stores and returns the amount of energy put into it.

Powerbocking into our glorious future will help you lose weight, be capable of the most extraordinary feats of athleticism, build strength and reduce cholesterol, flip backwards 20 times in 20 seconds, burn calories five times faster than jogging, leap over cars, scare the bejesus out of passers-by and be part of a craze that’s swept the world from Korea to Canada.

Canada? That’s where it will stop, at the border’s edge. It will never take off in America because in this country, where we’re not allowed to have socialized medicine like the civilized world has, simple injuries can bankrupt you. A broken extremity is an extravagance we can’t afford: $24,139. I know. I broke an ankle few years ago.

Powerbocks cost $269. Or….$24,139. Depends on if you have health insurance or not.

Via Gizmag

Tweet This Post