Man Flies Like a Bird – Really (Video Proof)

March 24, 2012: Remember the Greek myth of Icarus? According to the myth, he was a man who flew too close to the sun. We put it off as a myth, a story. A man can’t fly like a bird. Or can he?

The place is The Hague, Holland where the Dutch mechanical engineer Jarno Smeets takes off by flapping his wings, like a real bird. Smeets developed his wings over an 8 month period. They use a special motion mechanism built around the Android phone and Nintendo’s Wii controllers. This system allows Smeets to flap his arms to take off and keep on flying, just like an albatross. Studying albatross is where Smeets’ inspiration, for his wings, came from.

Smeets observed that like birds, humans have to amplify their locomotion to get control and get familiar with their new body expansions, or the wings. This is similar to a baby discovering what its legs can do. This is independent of any hardware and software challenges, which is the secret behind Smeets’ invention. Once he learned how to amplify his moves Smeets was ready. The first test took him just over a distance of 328 feet (100 meters).

A man flying like a bird should be the end of the story, except when and where can I buy mine. On the day this video hit YouTube it got just over 2 million views. This seems to indicate that there will be a line when Smeets’ wings hit the market.

So, was Icarus just a myth?

Translation of what Smeets is saying at the end of video. “I have always dreamed about this. But after 8 months of hard work, research and testing it all paid off. Enjoy!”

Brought to you by: Another break from the poetry
Sources: YouTube, jarnosmeets80, 11Alive