The proof is in the pudding when it comes to imagination and concept-to-reality. So many Star Wars and Star Trek gadgets and gizmos have become our reality and it all starts with one man's vision. Today we still have these visionaries and they're dreaming up what tomorrow's reality will look like. How about a completely autonomous ambulance motorcycle? Strap and patient into the capsule and away he goes to get medical treatment. Far-fetched? So were unmanned drones just a few decades ago. The lesson here is dream big or go home.

Continue reading for more on the medic-drone motorcycle.

Meet George Jetson

Have you ever imagined a day when we would have robot-motorcycle-medics roaming hither and yon to rescue the hapless and the unfortunate? Charles Bombardier (yes, of 'that' Bombardier family) apparently has. You see, he used his vision and not-inconsiderable monies to found “Imaginactive” back in 2013, and it has been sharing various concepts from around the world ever since. I'll be honest, I trip down this rabbit hole quite frequently, mainly to gawk at the various flying machines and other contraptions, but the non-profit, idea-sharing firm recently released something that falls close to my domain; introducing the “Babylon.”

His Boy, Elroy

Babylon is a hybrid creature borne of the same train of thought that brought us the “Mark V Kaki” casualty extraction unit and the “Track-ER" mobile stretcher. Intended mainly for urban use -- though you could argue that war-torn urban terrain can be just as difficult wild/natural terrain -- the Babylon features a stretcher that comes complete with a clear canopy, oxygen, music (to keep the patient calm) and a real-time video feed with medical personnel (probably more effective at keeping the patient calm). This protective medical capsule rides on an autonomous motorcycle base that uses gyros and self-balancing technology to scoot the casualty quickly and safely back to a surgical theatre.

Will it work? We don't know yet, it's still in the drawing-board phase, but it does show what people are thinking about nowadays. For what it's worth, I think that this sort of medical cocoon borne by a vertical lift-capable aerial drone, autonomous or remote-controlled, is a better way to go, but Mr. Bombardier hasn't exactly called to ask for my opinion on this point.

No matter where you fall on the feasibility of this project, a visit to the Imaginactive website shows us some of the fresh ideas and practicable solutions to what would have been considered pipe dreams just a decade ago.

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