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"The SF approach: an awareness that things could have been different, that this is one of many possible worlds, that if you came to this world from some other planet, this would be a science fiction world."
- Neal Stephenson
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| Flycycle | ||
| Combination flying motorcycle, kitchen and autodoc. |
Puppeteer-designed flying vehicle using thrusters for propulsion. Each has a self-contained medical unit, water distillation unit and a "kitchen", which can take organic matter and create edible "bricks" of food. It also contains a slave circuit that allows it to be controlled by another flycycle.
| The flycycles were miracles of compact design. Aside from their individualistic saddles, they were built all alike: a pair of four foot spheres joined by the constriction that held the saddle. Half the rear section was luggage space, and there was harness for stringing additional gear. |
| Technovelgy from Ringworld,
by Larry Niven. Published by Ballantine in 1970 Additional resources -
|
Surely these are the Harley-Davidson's of Known Space. Just think of it; trading the joys of the open road for the joys of the open - sky?
For a real-life version of a flycycle, see Paraglider to fly from Greece to Egypt.
See also the steel tortoise, a slower but equally cool vehicle developed about 35 years earlier for the story Coventry, by Robert Heinlein.
(Just a little looping video of a "flycycle" (personal flying vehicle from Larry Niven's Ringworld novels) flying over an alien planet orbiting a blue giant star. Software used is Imagine2 and Terragen. Thanks to Rids at Renderosity for use of his magnificent terrain Hallowed Ground, and to Torley Wong for the music titled Xristosphan.)
Compare to the aircycle from Buck Rogers, 2430 by Nowlan and Calkin and the saddle from The Big Front Yard (1959) by Clifford Simak.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Ringworld
More Ideas
and Technology by Larry Niven
Tech news articles related to Ringworld
Tech news articles related to works by Larry Niven
Flycycle-related
news articles:
- Paraglider To Fly From Greece to Egypt
- The F-Bike Flies!
- Get Your Speeder Flying Motorcycle From Jetpack Aviation
| SpaceX Rocket Shuttle Point-To-Point On Earth |
| CORLEO Robotic Horse Concept Looks Ready To Ride |
| Futuristic Transit Elevated Bus Never Really Worked |
| Japan Automated Cargo Transport |
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'This was their world, their planet — this swift-traveling, yet seemingly moveless vessel.'
'Gaines and Harvey mounted tumblebugs, and kept abreast of the Cadet Captain...'
Accompanied by a small selection of similar ideas from science fiction.
'...war-balloons, or, as it would be more correct to call them, navigable aerostats.'
