Go Fly a Kite

[Mulboyne]

Biokite: Honoring the bond between science and nature
BioKites are designed by a Japanese engineer and, unlike typical kites, use aerodynamic principles to create lift and eliminate air resistance. BioKite honors the bond between science and nature by applying this aeronautic technology to amazingly life-like and life-sized kites shaped like animals, birds and butterflies. The kites have created a sensation in Japan and are now [back in 2003] being sold here in the U.S...Because BioKites are based on lift instead of wind resistance; they are easier to fly in all wind conditions...For the first time, even small children and wheelchair-bound aficionados can launch and fly a kite easily, even in a light breeze....more...

[Charles]

As far as I can tell, bird-shaped kites have been around for hundreds of years. Here's a picture I took at the Hakodate Sports Kite Club's hangout, notice the kites hanging up along the ceiling.

More Kites

[kurohinge1]

... Dr. Ito has discovered that with his internationally-patented design, any shape could be made to fly easily, as long as the figure is bilaterally symmetrical and it has horizontal stabilizers.. His unique rudder mechanism controlled by a pinch of bonding Velcro in the fabric further enhances the kites' airworthiness.

... Dr. Ito is particularly fond of natural subjects such as birds, animals and insects, but BioKite technology allows kite designs in any customized shape, including logos.

This application of physics, science and biology unite to make BioKites the easiest kite to fly in all wind conditions, including a very light breeze. They lift and immediately go upwards, which means one can fly them in small lots and parks. BioKites take to the skies much more readily than conventional kites, eliminating the frustration and exhaustion normally associated with getting the kite in the air. For the first time, even small children and wheelchair-bound aficionados can launch and fly a kite easily, even in a light breeze.

Sounds like they're more than just "bird-shaped kites".

At least, various countries' patent offices apparently thought so.

[Charles]

Sounds like they're more than just "bird-shaped kites".

At least, various countries' patent offices apparently thought so.

Yeah, well there are patents on the wheelbarrow and the safety pin, even though those inventions go back thousands of years. This guy seems to have based his "innovation" on the observation that kites have to be bilaterally symmetrical. I can't recall ever seeing a kite that wasn't.

I assure you that there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to rigid kites. It has all been done before.



I even argued against this point with the Hakodate kitemaster who is in the pic I uploaded, I expounded on the virtues of the high-tech design of Alexander Graham Bell's tetrahedron kites that I liked to build, I drew him a picture and he said, "oh, you mean BOX Kite." And then he pulled out an old book with a ukiyo-e print that was a few hundred years old, with a picture of a kite with that exact same design. There isn't anything that can be done with bamboo and paper or fabric that hasn't been tried before, in infinite combinations with every possible detail explored in depth.

Now on the other hand, soft-body kites are totally new, but they aren't very interesting, there's basically only one design. If you look really close in the upper left corner in my pic, there's a framed photo on the wall showing a couple of colorful arcs, those are soft-body kites.