Jetpacks are often considered to be a thing of the future. In fact, we may never see consumer-grade jetpacks in our lifetime. Boeing certainly thinks there are people out there right now who are capable of building such devices with current technology and materials.
In this regard, it’s not entirely surprising to see the company offer US$2 million to anyone building a functional jetpack. That’s a very different take on flying vehicles, to say the least.
While the rest of the world is still trying to wrap their heads around flying cars, Boeing is already looking for the next big thing. Giving consumers ways to transport themselves by air in a convenient package is not as easy as it may sound.
There is no real technology to make humans fly, other than using flying vehicles of some type. A wingsuit is perhaps the closest thing to humans emulating flight we have seen so far.