Human Flying Apparatus Rail Suspension System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for simulating human flight, such as skydiving, zip lines, and indoor skydiving, are either unsafe, uncomfortable, or provide only brief experiences, failing to meet the demand for a safe, comfortable, and prolonged flying experience.
Innovation Solution
A single rail system suspended from a ceiling or ground, integrated with a free-moving gravity-driven wheel carriage and a bungee cord attached to a soaring harness with a braking and steering system, allowing users to glide and soar through an inverted course for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If skydiving, base-jumping, or bungee-jumping is used to simulate flight, then the flying experience is achieved, but safety is compromised and the experience is brief
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rail system as an intermediary structure that guides and supports the flight experience. The rail system acts as a mediator between the participant and the environment, providing a safe framework within which the flying experience can occur for extended periods without the safety risks of uncontrolled skydiving or base-jumping
Solution Approach 2:
The rail system creates a controlled gravitational environment where participants can experience extended flight by utilizing gravity in a controlled manner. The system equalizes the risk-reward ratio by providing continuous support through the rail structure, allowing participants to remain in a flying position for extended periods without the safety concerns of traditional methods
2Ease of operation
If zip lines are used to provide soaring, then the flying sensation is achieved, but participant control is limited and the ride is brief
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic rail system that can adapt to participant movements and preferences. The rail system includes adjustable components and multiple configurations that allow participants to control their own experience while maintaining safety, enabling extended rides by dynamically adjusting the flight path and duration
Solution Approach 2:
The rail system is divided into multiple segments and configurations that can be arranged in various patterns. This segmentation allows for extended flight paths while maintaining participant control through multiple controlled sections, each providing a manageable portion of the overall flying experience
3Ease of manufacture
If indoor skydiving is used to simulate flight, then the flying experience is provided indoors, but comfort is compromised and the ride is brief
Solution Approach 1:
The rail system serves as an intermediary that mediates between the indoor environment and the flying experience. It provides a structured framework that enhances comfort by eliminating the need for participants to balance on air columns, while still providing the desired flying sensation in an indoor setting
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a safe, indoor flying experience for all ages and skill levels, allowing participants to maintain control and enjoy prolonged flights, with potential for multiple users on staggered courses, enhancing entertainment value and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a bungee cord approximately 10 feet long, which is in turn attached to a soaring harness
Implementation Method 2
a free-moving, gravity driven wheel carriage which is attached to a bungee cord
Data Source
AI summary
The lever, wheel and axle, pulley, wedge, screw, and inclined plane are the six Simple Machines of the Classical era. Over 2000 years ago a man from Syracuse used them to create a way to move water against the pull of gravity. The Archimedes' screw is still a standard for simple efficiency. In homage to those early machines and the dreamers who built them, the Human Flying Apparatus provides a carriage, wheels and an axle, a harness, and a braking and steering system and, in specific embodiments, thrusters, all suspended from a single rail, which allows a human being to soar in simulated flight that is safe, sustained, and suitable for all skill levels.“For once you have tasted flight, you will walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return.”-Leonardo Da Vinci