In 1962 a prime time cartoon series called “The Jetsons” aired on TV. It was about a family that lived in Orbit City and traveled everywhere in their flying machine that basically replaced a ground-based automobile. It spurred the imagination of countless young people of all ages of a future where getting around like the Jetsons would someday become a reality. Based on a recent ASME article, that day seems just around the corner.
The article, titled “5 Flying Cars Take to the Skies,” reveals that these 5 cars are not just on the drawing board, but actually in testing and certification with agencies like the FAA, the European counterpart, EASA, the US National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, and others. And there appears to be a great many major corporations backing these designs.
The reality of the world of the Jetson’s is still a long way away, but we are closer than ever to their way of getting from place to place, and these 5 cars are a major advance.
And I must admit that I could not help myself in Googling the intro theme of the Jetson’s. It brought back a great many fond memories. –Dr. Tom
