A small magic carpet made of plastic has "taken flight" in Princeton University
The sheet measures 10cm (4in) and is driven by "ripple power"; this is when waves of electrical current push thin pockets of air from the front to the back of the carpet, making it fly. It moves at a speed of about 1cm/s but the design could be improved to make it go at 1m/s. The device's creator Noah Jafferis is a graduate student at Princeton. The source of thrust comes form the air trapped between the carpet and the ground which it then pumps out the back. This movement is not completely unlike the force that propels skates and rays in the water. The video is on the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15106231
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