Man has dreamed of flight since he saw a bird, and when media like The Jetsons, Lost in Space, and James Bond showed us the future ease of flight with a jet pack, he wanted it.
 
He also wanted super-strength and safety, as visualized in now-showing Iron Man. The world is moving closer, and though these gadgets aren’t available for the average guy commuting downtown—yet—they’re coming.

Two inventions to bring people closer to their dreams have recently surfaced, though both are now being slanted toward military use. The robotic suit reminiscent of that of Iron Man hero Tony Stark is under development at Sarcos, Inc. in Salt Lake City.

The suit weighs approximately 150 pounds and allows its wearer to increase his strength and endurance 20 times normal. Current design hosts no fancy repulsor rays or missiles, like Stark's, but once the issue of how to power the device is conquered, the suits could be useful for supply techs moving cargo, firefighters who have to enter buildings, and even the disabled who need help moving from place to place.
 
Jet packs in one form or another have been in development since the 1960s but a serious working prototype has eluded developers. The best current model has a flight time of nine minutes and is available to daring riders for the low low price of $200,000--which includes two weeks of training. JetPack International test pilot Eric Scott has worked on the project for two years, during which time he'd needed reconstructive shoulder surgery, blown out his knees six times, and needed seven pairs of tennis shoes when early versions set his feet on fire.
 
If ground-to-air flight isn't your cup of tea, perhaps the flight experience of Yves Rossy is more your style. The former fighter pilot, also known as Fusion Man, has developed an eight-foot set of jet wings that can propel him through the air at 186 miles per hour. The drawback is that he must launch from a plane already in the air.

The Gryphon, under development by German researchers at ESG Elektroniksystem and Drager Aerospace, is described as the equivalent of a paratrooper with the maneuverability of a jet fighter instead of an unpredictable chute.
 
Both of these, however, are still under development and not at this time available to the public. So for now, man will still have to watch--and dream.

Sources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24617833?GT1=43001
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24651455/page/2/