Martin Jetpack. Maybe an IPO in the offing

[minimoke]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/4811...r-jetpack-boss

And in that article Lader says

In the future when disasters like the Japan quake strike the jetpack could be used to fly rescuers to areas where helicopters and planes can't get to, Lauder says.

Lets look closer to home - what about the Christchurch earthquake and how the Jet pack could have been used.

It couldn't help in the CTV building because it had already collapsed and can't lift concrete floors: no lifting device
It couldn't help with the Forsyth Barr building because it couldn't get people out after the stairs collapsed.: no multi person flight function
It couldn't help in the resthome where the woman died - an ambulance was needed there: No medical specialist's likely to be found amongst jet pack pilots.
It couldn't help out east because there is no clues how it would assist with liquefaction. No sucking blowing ploughing ability
It couldn't help out Sumner because it cant move rocks. No nudge bars
It couldn't help out New Brighton cos it can't move porta loos or power lines. No towing / haulage ability

So just how could a Jetpack have made a difference in Christchurch?

As for Japan how is it going to dump water into a nuclear reactor or out run a tsunami.

Rather than saying the Jetpack would be good in disasters here's a prime example where it could have been used (christchurch) and how it might have been used (Japan).

C'mon rocketman how would the jetpack make a difference?

[Nevl]

And in that article Lader says
Lets look closer to home - what about the Christchurch earthquake and how the Jet pack could have been used.

It couldn't help in the CTV building because it had already collapsed and can't lift concrete floors: no lifting device
It couldn't help with the Forsyth Barr building because it couldn't get people out after the stairs collapsed.: no multi person flight function
It couldn't help in the resthome where the woman died - an ambulance was needed there: No medical specialist's likely to be found amongst jet pack pilots.
It couldn't help out east because there is no clues how it would assist with liquefaction. No sucking blowing ploughing ability
It couldn't help out Sumner because it cant move rocks. No nudge bars
It couldn't help out New Brighton cos it can't move porta loos or power lines. No towing / haulage ability

So just how could a Jetpack have made a difference in Christchurch?

As for Japan how is it going to dump water into a nuclear reactor or out run a tsunami.

Rather than saying the Jetpack would be good in disasters here's a prime example where it could have been used (christchurch) and how it might have been used (Japan).

C'mon rocketman how would the jetpack make a difference?

Scouting, recon, Aerial surveillance. Coordination. The better view a jet pack gives you over a helicopter must help Not to mention unmanned Jetpacks landing in areas too dangerous for helicopters with over headpower lines and the like. The small size and the lack of a rotor blade makes it better for urban settings in moving men and equipement. Also having a guy in a jet pack just outside a window is a lot better than in a helicopter where you are 20meters away.

I still can't believe you invested in aquasub!!

[minimoke]

Scouting, recon, Aerial surveillance. Coordination. The better view a jet pack gives you over a helicopter must help

I'm assuming pilots must have eagle eyes. If we are relying on human eyesight how much value is there really here. I'm not sure a pilot can use binoclears

Not to mention unmanned Jetpacks landing in areas too dangerous for helicopters with over headpower lines and the like.

Perhaps - but what does it do once it has landed? Fly in urgent medical supplies - with no doctor attached. Maybe something like radios might be of value - but couldn't something like a motor bike do the same job?
[quote]The small size and the lack of a rotor blade makes it better for urban settings in moving men and equipment.[/quote}] but we already know teh Jetpack lift capability isn't too much more than the weight of a standard person. Its not going to moving heavy equipment.

Also having a guy in a jet pack just outside a window is a lot better than in a helicopter where you are 20meters away.

And this would have helped those in the Forsyth BArr and Clarendon tower buildings how?

I still can't believe you invested in aquasub!!

Oh well - Life is full of lessons - something backers of the Jet pack will find out.

[Rocketman]

And in that article Lader says
Rather than saying the Jetpack would be good in disasters here's a prime example where it could have been used (christchurch) and how it might have been used (Japan).

C'mon rocketman how would the jetpack make a difference?

The company says one of the key advantages of the jetpack is that it is very easy to fly and will not need the training required for a helicopter. So you should be able to train firefighter, police, paramedics, engineers to fly them. So for Christchurch:

Close aerial surveivance of scenes to manage emergency response efforts/firefighting.
Getting paramedics to other events in the city (heart attacks) quickly when the roads are impassible and the bridges are out.
Rapid police response to burglars/looters
High rise building inspection/structural assessment/finding occupants
Roof top landings as required

Japan: Some of the above plus massed low level search, GPS tagging of survivor locations, emergency pack drops.
Unmanned for close camera observation and radiation detection of nuclear facilities, informing optimal water dousing.
(Expensive) personal tsunami escape system.

[minimoke]

Getting paramedics to other events in the city (heart attacks) quickly when the roads are impassible and the bridges are out.

Having been on one site where a person died of head injuries with heart complications I can absolutely assure you a guy flying in on a jetpack would have been a total waste of time. A morphine drop might be of some value but thats the sum total of it. Do you guys seriously think you're going to get a heart specialist flying one of these things. Here's a clue - check out the appetite for risk your target pilots have. I'm happy to be corrected but I reckon you'll find they would much prefer to have two feet on the ground - or as a minimum two wheels.

I think we might have been over this before - but what height altitude does the ballistic chute need - something like 100m. The Grand Chancellor stood at 85m - not sure now with the tilt! Is there some fault in my logic that if you have a minimum safe operation height of 100m then your high rise building work will only work on towers above 100m. The top of the PWC building is possibly the minimum height building you could use a jetpack - and thats the only one left standing.

As for Japan - whats the evac zone around Fukushima - 20KM? I guess you might get some relative of a Kamikaze pilot flying a jetpack of the power plant so you're not totally out of options.

[Rocketman]

Having been on one site where a person died of head injuries with heart complications I can absolutely assure you a guy flying in on a jetpack would have been a total waste of time. A morphine drop might be of some value but thats the sum total of it. Do you guys seriously think you're going to get a heart specialist flying one of these things. Here's a clue - check out the appetite for risk your target pilots have. I'm happy to be corrected but I reckon you'll find they would much prefer to have two feet on the ground - or as a minimum two wheels.

I think we might have been over this before - but what height altitude does the ballistic chute need - something like 100m. The Grand Chancellor stood at 85m - not sure now with the tilt! Is there some fault in my logic that if you have a minimum safe operation height of 100m then your high rise building work will only work on towers above 100m. The top of the PWC building is possibly the minimum height building you could use a jetpack - and thats the only one left standing.

As for Japan - whats the evac zone around Fukushima - 20KM? I guess you might get some relative of a Kamikaze pilot flying a jetpack of the power plant so you're not totally out of options.

1. I didn't suggest emergency medical response for earthquake victims - I suggested paramedic response for a city with the roading network down. Defibrillators are core kit for first response paramedics to save lives and do not require heart specialists. After an earthquake cardiac events increase and if you dont get paramedics to people quickly to stabilise them they die.
2. I suggested an UNMANNED version for obsevation of the nuclear plant
3. I understand the target specification for the ballistic shute is under 10m deployment.

[minimoke]

[QUOTE=Rocketman;341690]1. I didn't suggest emergency medical response for earthquake victims - I suggested paramedic response for a city with the roading network down. Defibrillators are core kit for first response paramedics to save lives and do not require heart specialists. After an earthquake cardiac events increase and if you dont get paramedics to people quickly to stabilise them they die.[\quote]
Engineering a solution to a non-problem. In Christchurch, for example there were no deaths due to heart attack in the period immediatly after the shake. There have been deaths due to heart attack after the quake - but this was once some lines of emergency response had opened up. When triaging, those with a wee heart murmer are somewhat down the queue when you have crush trauma to deal with.

2. I suggested an UNMANNED version for obsevation of the nuclear plant

Fair enough. Aren't there already unmanned drones that can do this?

3. I understand the target specification for the ballistic shute is under 10m deployment.

So if your paramedic is cruising around the top of the Hotel Grand Chancellor and his engine conks out he's got around 4 seconds before he becomes another statistic. Given he's going to take 3 - 4 seconds to react and deploy I reckon he'll still end up a statistic. Essentially that takes Christchurch type cities out of your target market.

This also gives us a clue to the minimum cruising altitude for renaissance work - 85 meters assuming a BRS can be deployed at 10m. But if you want to deploy at say 30m as a minimum threshold that means an operational height of 180m to allow for the reaction time. Thats now opening up your market to the top floor of the tallest building in Tokyo.

[Rocketman]

I think the ballistic chute is linked to the onboard accelerometers and other electronics, and will automatically deploy in about 1/50 sec if there is a problem. So the human response argument is negated.

I don't think there are many unmanned aerial vehicles that can hover over a site and carry heavy monitoring equipment, except unmanned helicopters at about US$15m each

I am thankfull there are no cardiac deaths in Christchurch because an ambulance always gets there on time.

[minimoke]

I think the ballistic chute is linked to the onboard accelerometers and other electronics, and will automatically deploy in about 1/50 sec if there is a problem. So the human response argument is negated.

By my reckoning you still need 4.5 seconds at 100m to allow for deployment time. Or because it might be a slower craft 7 seconds has an operational height of 275m.

I am thankfull there are no cardiac deaths in Christchurch because an ambulance always gets there on time.

. Thats becasue we are wise and have a couple of aspirin and paper bag in out first aid kits!.

Shame we don't live in Wellington. Check out thsi press release in February

A new look for paramedics in Wellington.

Wellington Free Ambulance is deploying medics on mountain bikes for the first time in its 85 year history.

The high spec Norco mountain bikes are equipped with ambulance radio communications, defibrillators and advanced medical first aid kits.

Wellington Free Ambulance spokesman Ross Cameron says they will be used for big events, and patrol the wharves and Oriental Bay during busy summer weekends.

He says this will be particularly important for the Rugby World Cup when the pedestrian count will be so high they will not be able to get ambulances or quad bikes through the crowds.

Ross Cameron says they will start off with two bikes, but hope to expand the fleet over the next few months.

Or if you are wanting something a bit speedier they have 2 or 3 Honda ST1300's kitted out for a base price of $20,000

[Rocketman]

Just had it clarified - the target parachute deployment time is 1.1 secs (fully deployed and inflated) from event with automatic electronic firing of rocket. From a hover you will fall less than 6 metres in that time, and it takes only 2 more metres to slow down to the parachute descent rate. So if they can achieve this then 8m is enough. They also say they are designing other safety features to take a 10m fall.

I am very happy to conceed in small cities like Christchurch and Wellington the motorbike version will do. But I suspect there will be justification and the money for flying paramedic response in other cities of the world. Even motorbikes can't take the crows route to emergency events. And maybe a medical insurer will diferentiate its product with guaranteed response times enabled by flying paramedics - you buy the insurance to get the service.