Make Your Own Cloud
Inventor makes machine to create custom-made ‘clouds’.
When one-time magician Francisco Guerra decided to float an idea he really pulled a rabbit out of the hat — a cloud-making machine.
The clouds, or Flogos, come in any shape you want, from Mickey Mouse to the Olympic rings.
They are made of soap and gases, such as helium, which allow them to fly off and retain their puffy texture.
“They will fly for miles,†said Guerra. “They are durable, so they last a while.â€
Six-km high
Depending on the weather and the formula used, the Flogos can last from a few minutes to more than an hour. They can fly up to 48 km and go as high as 6 km, but normally the little clouds level out at about 500 ft.
His machines can pump out one flying logo every 15 seconds.
Not hazardous
Current designs are only available in white, but Guerra plans to add colour options from next year.
Guerra, whose US company Snowmakers creates weather effects for Hollywood movies, insisted Flogos are environmentally friendly because the soaps that make up the foamy shapes are plant-based. “Eventually, a Flogo just evaporates in the air. It does not pollute the skies,†he said.
“They’re safer than mass balloon launches where the fragments pollute the environment and are dangerous to wildlife,†he added.
The proto-clouds have also been cleared by the authorities of being a hazard to aeroplanes.
Inventor makes machine to create custom-made ‘clouds’.
When one-time magician Francisco Guerra decided to float an idea he really pulled a rabbit out of the hat — a cloud-making machine.
The clouds, or Flogos, come in any shape you want, from Mickey Mouse to the Olympic rings.
They are made of soap and gases, such as helium, which allow them to fly off and retain their puffy texture.
“They will fly for miles,†said Guerra. “They are durable, so they last a while.â€
Six-km high
Depending on the weather and the formula used, the Flogos can last from a few minutes to more than an hour. They can fly up to 48 km and go as high as 6 km, but normally the little clouds level out at about 500 ft.
His machines can pump out one flying logo every 15 seconds.
Not hazardous
Current designs are only available in white, but Guerra plans to add colour options from next year.
Guerra, whose US company Snowmakers creates weather effects for Hollywood movies, insisted Flogos are environmentally friendly because the soaps that make up the foamy shapes are plant-based. “Eventually, a Flogo just evaporates in the air. It does not pollute the skies,†he said.
“They’re safer than mass balloon launches where the fragments pollute the environment and are dangerous to wildlife,†he added.
The proto-clouds have also been cleared by the authorities of being a hazard to aeroplanes.
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