If you’ve managed to see of even try the “manapult”, “man cannon” or “human cannon” in the upcoming game Metal Gear Online you may be interested to know that DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the United States have already filed a patent in April 2006 for the so called “Controllable Launcher”.
A ramp with side rails would be placed on the ground near the target building at an angle of about 80°. A (very brave) person would then sit in a chair, like a pilot’s ejection seat, attached to the ramp.
From New Scientist on the Controllable Launcher patent
Compressed air from a cylinder underneath would be rapidly released to shoot the chair up the ramp’s guide rails. At the top the chair would come to an instant halt, leaving the person to fly up and over the edge of the roof, to hopefully land safely on top of the building.
The DARPA patent suggests that computer could automatically devise the correct angle and speed of ascent. It also claims that a 4-metre-tall launcher could put a man on the top of a 5 storey building in less than 2 seconds. Very similar to the Man Cannon in MGO.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to try out the “Man Cannon” in Metal Gear Online then you’ll have to wait until Metal Gear Solid 4 ships on the 12th of June
A direct link to the Controllable Launcher for DARPA makes for interesting reading
Metal Gear Online by Konami
[Via geekologie.com] Via New Scientist April 2006
