--- title: "Watch a Guy Take Off With an Electric Backpack Helicopter" description: "The Australians are at it again — and this time, they've released a second generation \"CopterPack\" that is exactly as scary and awesome as it sounds." date: "2022-08-04" modified: "2022-08-04" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/copterpack-gen2-helicopter-backpack" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "copterpack" - "jetpack" - "the digest" --- # Watch a Guy Take Off With an Electric Backpack Helicopter ![The Australians are at it again — and this time, they've released a second generation "CopterPack" that is exactly as scary and awesome as it sounds.]() *\Image: CopterPack\* ## Chopper Jetpack Ever wondered what it's like to fly around with an electric helicopter strapped to your back? [Australian company CopterPack]() just teased a second generation of its part-helicopter, part-jetpack design — and we're still not entirely sure how it works or how safe it is. The [flashy video](), which was shared on YouTube this week, shows a man taking off into the night sky, with an epic skyline serving as the backdrop. ## Taking Off As we [noted back in 2021](), very little is known about the CopterPack outside of the "Mission Impossible"-esque [demonstration videos]() released by the company. Two whirring sets of drone-style blades attached to a backpack harness lift the wearer up into the sky where they appear to control it two joysticks attached to some supports. And oddly enough, there's basically no information about safety features, design specifics, or anything else that makes the CopterPack work. The [CopterPack site is pretty thin on details](), claiming that the company's "electric backpack helicopter" is constructed out of a lightweight "carbon fiber honeycomb" and comes equipped with "a self-levelling autopilot." The site does, however, mention that the CopterPack is still "in the development stage," and the company has yet to announce any plans to sell its helicopter backpack to consumers. Which, perhaps, is for the best. Futurism has reached out to CopterPack for more information. **More on jetpacks:** [*Pilot Spots Jetpack While Landing at LAX*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()