OpenSky 2.0
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ICC in Tokyo is currently running an exhibition called OpenSky2.0, which showcases various artifacts relevant to Kazuhiko Hachiya's ambitious ongoing project with its ultimate goal of developing a personal "flying machine."
The sky so far seems to be a "closed" space in which "end-users" cannot easily participate in. Imagine an "open" sky in which anyone can fly freely -- it would be so nice -- but making it actually happen would be extremely difficult. The OpenSky project started in 2003 and, so far, a flying machine was designed, a half-size radio-controlled prototype was built, a full-size aircraft was built and tested. It is being integrated with jet engines and the plan is to test the next version of the flying machine with a person on board. The exhibition will last till March 11. |
Hi,
Hi,
Cool looking machine, but does he give any props to Miyazaki. That flying board looks like an exact realization of the board that “Nausicaa of the valley of the wind� rides in Miyazaki's manga.
Anyways, I hope to succeed. Sure would be cool to ride one of those.
However, if you are impatient, the sky is not that closed. Paragliding and hang-gliding are two, cheap and easily accessible technologies to get some airtime. And unlike jetpowered aircraft, quite the green machines :)
It should be noted that the OpenSky project is based off of the mehve from Miyazaki's "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind."
Otherwise, this is a really cool project that I hope will make it off of the ground (pun intended).
looks like the glider from Hayao Miyazaki's"The valley of the wind"
The craft looks a lot like mehve (Japanese: メーヴェ) the fictional one-person plane/glider in Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nausica%C3%A4_of_the_Valley_of_the_Wind#Mehve
ahh nausicaa! i will forever want one!