8 Far-Out ‘Jetsons’ Contraptions That Actually Exist Today
The Jetsons via Facebook
The Jetsons, that candy-colored cartoon about a family living in the future, was actually a bit of a time traveler.
It premiered in 1962 on ABC and was the network’s first show to ever be broadcast in color. But this new-age way of viewing a television show didn’t help The Jetsons, as it only lasted 24 episodes before being cancelled thanks to poor ratings. The production company Hanna-Barbera (the minds behind The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo) gave it another shot and revived it in the ’80s with new episodes that ran in syndication from 1985 to 1987.
The cartoon wasn’t around for all that long compared to some of its contemporaries, but its impact is an enduring one. True, there are some aspects of it that are a bit dated — you don’t see a lot of parents naming their sons Elroy nowadays — but it was remarkably prescient about where technology was headed.
From interactive newspapers to video chatting, here are some of the inventions from The Jetsons that are a part of our world today.
1. Flying cars.
Image credit: Jetsons / Aeromobil
George Jetson’s flying car converted into a portable briefcase, which is arguably pretty cool. While the car improvements haven’t trended in that direction just yet, the team at Slovakian startup AeroMobil is hard at work on a car that can turn into an airplane and vice versa. At this year’s SXSW, co-founder and CEO Juraj Vaculik said that their invention could arrive in 2017.
Read more: At SXSW: The Flying Car Could Come as Early as 2017
2. Jetpacks.
Image credit: Jetsons / Aquaxflyer
There were jetpacks a plenty in the Jetsons universe, to get people everywhere from school to the dry cleaners. And while they aren’t available for general consumption just yet, startups like AquaFlyer, Martin JetPack and Jet Pack International are working towards that dream of commuting via jetpack a reality.
Read more: The Man Making Jet Packs Possible
3. Robotic help.
Image credit: Jetsons / A.L.O. the Botlr
The Jetsons irascible housekeeper Rosie would feel right at home with the robotic butlers and concierge’s employed at the Henn-na Hotel in Japan and Aloft Hotel in California.
Read more: This Robotic Butler Could Make Your Next Hotel Stay…Interesting
4. Holograms.
Image credit: Jetsons / Pulse
Read more:
Smoke and Mirrors: Why We Aren’t Seeing More Digital Zombies Like Michael Jackson
Related: 7 Business Lessons for Entrepreneurs From ‘Parks and Recreation’
5. 3-D printed food.
Image credit: Jetsons / ChefJet
CojoJet
Read more:
From Eye Shadow to Entire Houses: 7 of the Craziest 3-D Printed Creations Yet
6. Drones.
Image credit: Jetsons / Stephen Warrener
Read more:
Star Wars + Drones = Dreams Come True
7. Smart shoes.
Image credit: Jetsons / Lesia Trubat
mind of their own
Read more:
These ‘Smart’ Ballet Shoes Digitally Paint Dancers’ Fancy Footwork
8. Smartwatches.
Image credit: Jetsons / Apple
Apple Watch
Pebble’s
$20 million
Read more:
The One Reason You Should Want to Buy a Smartwatch
Related: 7 Business Lessons From Ross, Rachel and the Rest of the ‘Friends’ Crew
The Jetsons, that candy-colored cartoon about a family living in the future, was actually a bit of a time traveler.
It premiered in 1962 on ABC and was the network’s first show to ever be broadcast in color. But this new-age way of viewing a television show didn’t help The Jetsons, as it only lasted 24 episodes before being cancelled thanks to poor ratings. The production company Hanna-Barbera (the minds behind The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo) gave it another shot and revived it in the ’80s with new episodes that ran in syndication from 1985 to 1987.
The cartoon wasn’t around for all that long compared to some of its contemporaries, but its impact is an enduring one. True, there are some aspects of it that are a bit dated — you don’t see a lot of parents naming their sons Elroy nowadays — but it was remarkably prescient about where technology was headed.
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