Readers of Uglies will know all about my so-called “bungee jackets.” Basically, they’re a futuristic way of escaping a burning building in a magnetic levitation harness. Of course, my tricky uglies and drunken pretties tend to put bungee jackets to much more amusing uses.
Well, it wouldn’t be the future if someone wasn’t already working on it. Howard Price of the Trades (which gave Uglies a great review for my birthday) pointed me to this article in the Economist. It’s about a backpack-based inflatable device that allows you to jump safely from a building and bounce to a halt.
The Lavochkin Association in Moscow demonstrated this device (using a 1/6-scale model) at the Paris Air Show in mid-June. They don’t have a working prototype, but the overall concept seems sound, or at least better than burning to death. (Or jumping with, say, nothing.)
You leap with the backpack on, pulling the cord, and the outer rim inflates as you fall. The aerodynamic shape of the device turns the point downward (putting you on the top) and slows your fall way down. Hopefully the pointy front end is soft enough to protect you from the ground, and any earlier jumpers from you.
The full-size version is six meters (20 feet) across, so imagine a flock of them coming down the street at you on a windy day!
Anyway, I want one. (After the testing. Lots and lots of testing.)
June 29th, 2005 09:34
Of course, if you’re so afraid of a burning building, my suggestion is to just stay out of them. There are plenty of nice buildings that aren’t on fire to choose from…
June 29th, 2005 14:18
Dude, it’s not about legit uses. It’s about illegit ones . . .
June 29th, 2005 21:22
Spoken like a clever little ugly! Lol. I’ve been wanting to say that one for almost a week now. Thank you, Justine, for giving me that chance.
June 30th, 2005 00:05
And they upgrade many otherwise climb-yourself-in-a-corner highrises more suitable as zombie siege strongholds. No more trickily-timed helicopter rescues or training-intensive rappelling once the zombies break down the last stairwell door and pour out onto the roof.
And since zombies tend to hunt in ravening packs, luring most of them up in the stariwell and off the streets below makes for a clearer route of escape.
July 1st, 2005 08:54
hmmm…..Zombies are pretty ugly ya know. Maybe we need to call in the speacials for this case….
July 9th, 2005 04:49
I’ll have to get one custom fit to my puppy. I’m sure it’d give her hours of entertainment.
July 9th, 2005 10:21
I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!
July 15th, 2005 20:09
maybe someday you could create a book about the store you can get these at…? Nah, im just kidding. But it would be awesome,