Everyone is familiar with Iron Man. It's one of the most famous movies in the world, especially Robert Downey Jr., who can not only fight but also fly in the sky. He is so handsome that he has no friends!
Who doesn't want to get the same style? I didn't think it would really let us do it!
In May, the Royal Navy tested a jetpack in the English Channel, in which jetpack wearers took off from a small boat and landed on HMS Tamar.
The jetpack, called the Gravity Jet Suit, has been developed by British aerospace company Gravity Industries and can fly at speeds of more than 89km/h, costing £300,000 each.
Sure, it's awesome, but it's a long way from being commercially available, and the rest of us can't afford it.
Man is far from conquering the sky, but a bionic robot is the first to do it. It's like Iron Man stepping into reality.
It sounds incredible, but once you've seen iRonCub, you'll feel like Jiguojun that the magic reality is coming to life.
In the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation, Robotics experts at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) published their latest research results. IRonCub, a humanoid robot, was fitted with a multifunctional jetpack. So it can fly on its own.
The project has been in development for several years. Back in September 2017, IIT academics announced that they were working on the iRonCub, the world's first humanoid flying robot.
The idea was to develop a control system that would allow humanoid robots with four jet propellers on each limb to fly. Essentially similar to the design of British Gravity Industries' man-like Jetpack.
But it has been changed to a small jet engine instead of hands and a twin-engine jet pack on the back. In practice, iRonCub's development went well, though the face could use a makeover.
An iRonCub stands 104cm tall and can sit and crawl on all fuses. It can manipulate objects with its hands, and its head and eyes are fully hinged. It can see and hear with vision, hearing and touch.
The biggest advantage of this type of robot is that it can take off by itself without borrowing force from additional objects and environment. However, it will be affected by the environment during the flight, such as wind and rain.
As for why the iRonCub is designed to look like a humanoid, the developers say the humanoid might be easier to control and could provide experience for human flight exploration.
There is still one difficulty to overcome in iRonCub's test run. It is difficult to ensure that the robot will not ignite or even explode due to engine exhaust during flight.
But the researchers have come up with a solution: a gaudy pair of silver fire-retardant pants for the iRonCub, at least to ensure it doesn't spontaneously combust until it reaches the required altitude.
So what's the use of a flying humanoid robot? What advantages do they have over delivery drones?
The head of the Italian Institute of Technology said research on the future of human-driven bones could be carried out with the bionic robot, avoiding extensive testing on humans.
Also, the flying iRonCub can be used to develop a general control framework for flying humanoid robots. The next step in the research is to conduct controlled flights of the iRonCub, which will be ready for practical use as soon as possible.
Overall, iRonCub is more like a cross between Iron Man and Rocket Man.
But Iron Man doesn't rely on a jetpack on his back. Instead, Iron Man is equipped with jets on his hands and feet. The iRonCub's twin-engine jet pack is a bit more cumbersome by comparison, and certainly serves the same purpose. So which design would you prefer?
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