TED2017
Richard Browning: How I built a jet suit
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We've all dreamed of flying -- but for Richard Browning, flight is an obsession. He's built an Iron Man-like suit that leans on an elegant collaboration of mind, body and technology, bringing science fiction dreams a little closer to reality. Learn more about the trial and error process behind his invention and take flight with Browning in an unforgettable demo.
Richard Browning - Founder, Gravity
Richard Browning is the founder of human propulsion technology startup Gravity, which has invented, built and patented a personal flight system. Full bio
Richard Browning is the founder of human propulsion technology startup Gravity, which has invented, built and patented a personal flight system. Full bio
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Michael Browning: engineer,
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innovator --
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inventor, really --
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and inspiring father.
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He had a passion for flight,
as you can kind of sense
as you can kind of sense
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from that rather dubious
1970s office-leaving present.
1970s office-leaving present.
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And some 40 years after that was created,
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a small group of us got together
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to have a go,
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a run at the whole challenge of flight
that inspired people for years,
that inspired people for years,
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and do it in a very different kind of way.
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And that's the journey I'd like
to share with you now.
to share with you now.
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The starting hypothesis was one
of the human mind and body,
of the human mind and body,
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which, as you've seen
for the last few days here,
for the last few days here,
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is an amazing construct.
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What if you augmented
that wonderful machine
that wonderful machine
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with just the right technology?
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If you approach flight
in that kind of real way,
in that kind of real way,
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where could you get to?
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So my training partner here
back in London, Denton,
back in London, Denton,
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is doing a much better job
of that kind of stuff than me.
of that kind of stuff than me.
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Guess what? It's London.
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The idea was that you augment that.
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And so, how do you augment that?
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Well, we bought one of these.
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This is a micro gas turbine.
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This was ground zero,
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so that little piece of kit
proved really quite impressive,
proved really quite impressive,
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so we got two in a field.
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The real hero here, by the way,
is, right in the background,
is, right in the background,
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there's a lady tending some vegetables,
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who does a brilliant job
of trying to ignore us for a while --
of trying to ignore us for a while --
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(Laughter)
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I think the only thing
less happy is the grass,
less happy is the grass,
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that we did probably damage quite badly.
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You get an idea of the thrust here,
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when I try to hold them horizontally
and somewhat fail.
and somewhat fail.
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That's around 50 kilos of thrust there.
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We were quite impressed with that.
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We thought we were getting somewhere.
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So there's only one sensible way
to go from there:
to go from there:
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you get four.
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(Laughter)
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I have to say, I still like
watching these back.
watching these back.
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So then we thought well, let's try
and spread the load a bit.
and spread the load a bit.
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The legs are designed to take the load,
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so why don't we spread it out a bit?
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That bit was good.
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The harness --
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a nice idea but it didn't really work,
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as you'll see now.
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This whole journey was very much
about trying things --
about trying things --
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(Laughter)
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Yeah, it really didn't work, did it?
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Trying things and learning
by failing at them most of the time.
by failing at them most of the time.
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And that included failing by falling over.
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If you notice, we've got
five engines here --
five engines here --
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not to be put off by the fact
one was in maintenance,
one was in maintenance,
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still had a go.
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(Laughter)
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And then I pinched a fuel line.
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So again, good learning.
We learned not to do that again.
We learned not to do that again.
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This was a blind alley.
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(Laughter)
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This was three on each arm --
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that was ridiculous.
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That was 70 kilos on each arm.
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Again, struck that one off.
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(Laughter)
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But we were starting to make
some really quite convincing progress,
some really quite convincing progress,
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just enough to make you
believe that maybe --
believe that maybe --
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maybe we could get there.
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You can see, look -- tantalizing.
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The model of one on each leg
and two on each arm,
and two on each arm,
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on paper, that was enough thrust.
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And then we did what
I'm about to show you now,
I'm about to show you now,
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and I still love watching this one.
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This was our first six-second,
reasonably coherent flight.
reasonably coherent flight.
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(Applause)
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That was the point where
this endeavor went from:
this endeavor went from:
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"I'm really not sure
this is going to work,"
this is going to work,"
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to: "Oh my god, it does work!"
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From there on we then refined it,
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but we carried on falling over a lot.
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Falling over, like I say, is definitely
the best way to learn.
the best way to learn.
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After a while, we starting
really refining the layout of all of this.
really refining the layout of all of this.
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And you'll see,
that's stability and control --
that's stability and control --
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there's no wires there or anything --
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that's a combination of us
refining the technology,
refining the technology,
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including with a Tupperware box
on the back for the electronics
on the back for the electronics
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and actually learning
the balance and control.
the balance and control.
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I'm now going to save your ears
for the next short piece
for the next short piece
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and talk over it.
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After a while, the jet engine
noise is a bit annoying.
noise is a bit annoying.
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This is only a few weeks ago.
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You can see the stability and control
is really quite nice,
is really quite nice,
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and I'd like to think this somewhat
validates that starting hypothesis,
validates that starting hypothesis,
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that the human mind and body,
if properly augmented in that way,
if properly augmented in that way,
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can achieve some pretty cool stuff.
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I mean, like I said:
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I'm not thinking about where
I'm moving my arms at that stage.
I'm moving my arms at that stage.
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I'm looking at the objective
of where I want to get to,
of where I want to get to,
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and a bit like riding a bike,
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my arms are just doing their thing.
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It's a very strange experience.
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So where is all this headed?
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I'll talk over this landing --
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I think I land in this one.
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Well, I don't think anybody's going
to go down to Walmart
to go down to Walmart
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or take the kids to school
in any of this stuff for a while,
in any of this stuff for a while,
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but the team at Gravity are building
some awesome technology
some awesome technology
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that's going to make
this look like child's play.
this look like child's play.
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We're working on some things
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that will seek to bring
this unusual experience of flight
this unusual experience of flight
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to a wider audience, beyond the events
and displays we're doing.
and displays we're doing.
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We're even starting to look
for pilots two and three,
for pilots two and three,
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if there's any volunteers.
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I've got this vision.
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It sounds audacious,
but let's just stick it out there,
but let's just stick it out there,
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that one day maybe we can
rise up above a beach,
rise up above a beach,
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fly up and down the coastline
of it, rise up a bit higher,
of it, rise up a bit higher,
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with some of the safety kit
we're working on to make this achievable.
we're working on to make this achievable.
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Then over the horizon comes
a Hercules with the ramp down.
a Hercules with the ramp down.
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As it comes past,
you start picking up speed
you start picking up speed
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and see if we can intercept --
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from the rear, not the front,
that would be a mistake --
that would be a mistake --
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and then try and land in the back.
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And as I say, that's a little
way off at the moment.
way off at the moment.
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But this is also, if I take
a big step back from this,
a big step back from this,
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this is also a very
personal journey for me.
personal journey for me.
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Back to that lovely photo,
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or photo in a picture.
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Sadly, my father took
his own life when I was 15,
his own life when I was 15,
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and left an awful lot
of unfulfilled ambition.
of unfulfilled ambition.
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He was a wonderful inventor,
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a maverick creator.
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And I'd just like to think,
if it was possible,
if it was possible,
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if he was looking down,
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he would be --
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he'd certainly be smiling at some
of the things we've done here,
of the things we've done here,
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I think.
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So, it's a tribute to him.
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Thank you very much.
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(Applause)
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(Voice-over) Richard Browning:
I'm probably more nervous
I'm probably more nervous
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about doing the demo after this.
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I've got a lot of things
to get done today.
to get done today.
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Worst-case scenario,
we don't get a clean start.
we don't get a clean start.
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Or we get an unplanned failure
while I'm actually flying around.
while I'm actually flying around.
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This is why we keep it very low,
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so the worst is I just look like an idiot
and fall on my rear, as I said.
and fall on my rear, as I said.
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So you can all enjoy that if that happens.
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(Music)
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(Jet engine accelerates)
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(Cheers)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Richard Browning - Founder, GravityRichard Browning is the founder of human propulsion technology startup Gravity, which has invented, built and patented a personal flight system.
Why you should listen
Richard Browning is an ultra-marathon runner, an ex-Royal Marine reservist, former City commodity trader and a pioneering inventor. He's the founder of Gravity, launched in March 2017 with a dream to reimagine an entirely new form of human flight, leaning on an elegant collaboration of mind and body augmented by leading-edge technology.
Gravity has to date been experienced by over a billion people globally with video views alone running at more than 60m within seven days of launch. Browning's vision is to build Gravity into a world-class aeronautical engineering business, challenge perceived boundaries in human aviation, and inspire a generation to dare ask ‘what if…’
Richard Browning | Speaker | TED.com