It's not rocket-powered, but why quibble? California-based Personal Flight Systems has received a patent for a "personal flight vehicle and system" that uses electromagnetic ionic propulsion for thrust and runs on energy broadcast wirelessly from terrestrial power stations.
What is "electromagnetic ionic propulsion", you ask?
The basic principle behind ion propulsion is to positively charge a fluid and then electromagnetically propel it to create thrust. It's a very efficient technique that NASA have been using to propel long-distance, unmanned space vehicles. While the amount of thrust it produces is quite small, it can be sustained over a long-term trip to provide a very effective cumulative acceleration that eventually far outweighs the much more powerful but fuel-hungry chemical rockets used for take-offs.
The PFS patent adds a few key elements to this well-established technology; most importantly a new design for the capacitative thrust plates that emit and receive the electrical charges, and a system that pre-conditions the air between and around the plates to maximize thrust. he company also plan to remove the heavy power pack from the vehicle and "broadcast" pulses of DC power to the vehicle from ground stations based on theories from Nikola Tesla, the famous inventor and physicist responsible for the AC power system in the early 20th century.
Wireless electrical broadcasts, eh? Sounds a lot like the system
recently developed at MIT. In other words, it's a perfect storm of jetpack innovation -- and these won't even require you to strap gallons of explosive fuel onto your back!
The ion-propelled, remotely-powered jetpack [Gizmag]
