CopterPack Gen3: Backpack helicopter with self-leveling autopilot makes first flight

The race for the future of commuting is getting interesting. Within the past year alone, we have seen flying cars, flying motorcycles, and air taxis. Existing means of transportation are also getting upgrades with better self-driving cars, faster trains, and more.

One of the companies at the forefront of this innovation is CopterPack, and it's not pushing for flying cars or air taxis, but backpack helicopters. Four years ago, it announced the CopterPack — a machine worn just like a backpack with two individually tunable rotors by its side. Two years later, it announced the CopterPack Gen2, and now the CopterPack Gen3.

The CopterPack Gen3 — touted as a backpack helicopter with a self-leveling autopilot — was showcased 7 days ago. The airframe of the machine is made from honeycomb-structured carbon fiber, which ensures it is strong and lightweight as well, despite the size. The prototype has a wingspan of 3.1 meters (10 feet), and it was designed with maneuverability in mind. It has a rated maximum payload of 120 kilograms (265 pounds), a maximum operating altitude of 3,048 meters (10,000 feet), and a maximum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).