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Gravity, or Lunavity?

Short answer: A University of Tokyo team built a 16-fan wearable drone that makes jumping feel like you're on the Moon.

Where would you take your first Lunavity jump?

VideoSlides · 10Write-up9 sources

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What should you know about Gravity, or Lunavity??

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. Lunavity is a wearable drone that holds up part of the wearer's weight while they jump; its name is a nod to the Moon.

    DD-007-F01 · Slide 02 · Exhibit A

  2. Lunavity was built by students from Jun Rekimoto's lab at the University of Tokyo and unveiled in 2018.

    DD-007-F02 · Slide 03 · Exhibit B

  3. Lunavity uses a ring of 16 electric ducted fans above the wearer that push air down for lift.

    DD-007-F03 · Slide 04 · Exhibit C

  4. Lunavity is not a jetpack: it lightens the wearer so every jump goes higher and lasts longer.

    DD-007-F04 · Slide 05 · Exhibit D

  5. Lunavity has no joystick; it follows the wearer's body.

    DD-007-F05 · Slide 06 · Exhibit E

  6. Lunavity aims to make jumping feel like walking on the Moon, where gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's.

    DD-007-F06 · Slide 07 · Exhibit F

  7. The Lunavity team pitched the wearable drone for slam dunks, jumping across streets and brand-new sports.

    DD-007-F07 · Slide 08 · Exhibit G

  8. A Lunavity prototype was shown at SXSW 2018 in Austin, with no price or release date.

    DD-007-F08 · Slide 09 · Exhibit H
Video coming soonGravity, or Lunavity? · Instagram Reel
Lunavity: The University of Tokyo's Wearable Drone for Moon-Like Jumps Instagram Reel · · 20s
This backpack lets you jump like you're on the Moon. It's a wearable drone built in Tokyo.
Lunavity A wearable drone that holds up part of your weight while you jump. The name is a nod to the Moon.
University of Tokyo Built by students from Jun Rekimoto's lab and unveiled in 2018.
16 ducted fans A ring of electric fans above the wearer pushes air down for lift.
Not a jetpack It doesn't fly you around. It lightens you, so every jump goes higher and lasts longer.
No joystick It follows your body, so you just jump the way you normally would.
Moon mode The goal: feel like you're walking on the Moon, where gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's.
Slam dunks The team pitched it for dunking, jumping across streets and brand-new sports.
SXSW 2018 A prototype hit the show floor in Austin, with no price or release date.
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Video transcript: Lunavity: The University of Tokyo's Wearable Drone for Moon-Like Jumps

Did you know? The University of Tokyo's Rekimoto Lab developed Lunavity, a wearable multi-rotor system designed to augment human jumping instead of simply flying the wearer. The backpack places a cluster of drone rotors above the user, generating upward thrust that partially counteracts body weight and creates the sensation of reduced gravity.

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (caption-band strips) · 20s Reel ·

The write-up

This backpack lets you jump like you're on the Moon. It's a wearable drone built in Tokyo.

  1. Exhibit A

    Lunavity

    A wearable drone that holds up part of your weight while you jump. The name is a nod to the Moon.

  2. Exhibit B

    University of Tokyo

    Built by students from Jun Rekimoto's lab and unveiled in 2018.

  3. Exhibit C

    16 ducted fans

    A ring of electric fans above the wearer pushes air down for lift.

  4. Exhibit D

    Not a jetpack

    It doesn't fly you around. It lightens you, so every jump goes higher and lasts longer.

  5. Exhibit E

    No joystick

    It follows your body, so you just jump the way you normally would.

  6. Exhibit F

    Moon mode

    The goal: feel like you're walking on the Moon, where gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's.

  7. Exhibit G

    Slam dunks

    The team pitched it for dunking, jumping across streets and brand-new sports.

  8. Exhibit H

    SXSW 2018

    A prototype hit the show floor in Austin, with no price or release date.

Questions people ask about Gravity, or Lunavity?

How many ducted fans does Lunavity use?

A ring of 16 electric ducted fans above the wearer pushes air down for lift.

Source: Slide 04 · Exhibit C (16 ducted fans)

Who built Lunavity?

Lunavity was built by students from Jun Rekimoto's lab at the University of Tokyo.

Source: Slide 03 · Exhibit B (University of Tokyo)

What does Lunavity actually do?

It isn't a jetpack: it lightens you, so each jump goes higher and lasts longer.

Source: Slide 05 · Exhibit D (Not a jetpack)

Lunavity aims to feel like the Moon. How strong is the Moon's gravity compared with Earth's?

Moon gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's.

Source: Slide 07 · Exhibit F (Moon mode)

Where did a Lunavity prototype hit the show floor?

A prototype was shown at SXSW 2018 in Austin, with no price or release date.

Source: Slide 09 · Exhibit H (SXSW 2018)

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. How many ducted fans does Lunavity use?

    1. 4
    2. 8
    3. 16
    4. 32
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. 16 A ring of 16 electric ducted fans above the wearer pushes air down for lift. Source: Slide 04 · Exhibit C (16 ducted fans)

  2. Who built Lunavity?

    1. Students from Jun Rekimoto's lab at the University of Tokyo
    2. MIT Media Lab
    3. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
    4. A Formula 1 team
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Students from Jun Rekimoto's lab at the University of Tokyo Lunavity was built by students from Jun Rekimoto's lab at the University of Tokyo. Source: Slide 03 · Exhibit B (University of Tokyo)

  3. What does Lunavity actually do?

    1. Flies you around like a jetpack
    2. Launches you with compressed air
    3. Lightens you so every jump goes higher and lasts longer
    4. Adds springs to your shoes
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. Lightens you so every jump goes higher and lasts longer It isn't a jetpack: it lightens you, so each jump goes higher and lasts longer. Source: Slide 05 · Exhibit D (Not a jetpack)

  4. Lunavity aims to feel like the Moon. How strong is the Moon's gravity compared with Earth's?

    1. About 1/2
    2. About 1/3
    3. About 1/100
    4. About 1/6
    Show the answer

    Answer: D. About 1/6 Moon gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's. Source: Slide 07 · Exhibit F (Moon mode)

  5. Where did a Lunavity prototype hit the show floor?

    1. SXSW 2018 in Austin
    2. CES 2012 in Las Vegas
    3. Expo 2005 in Aichi
    4. Comic-Con 2015 in San Diego
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. SXSW 2018 in Austin A prototype was shown at SXSW 2018 in Austin, with no price or release date. Source: Slide 09 · Exhibit H (SXSW 2018)

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Gravity, or Lunavity?." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-007, last updated Oct 17, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/lunavity/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/lunavity/ · Last updated

Markdown version

Cite a single fact by its ID, for example DD-007-F01 → https://detailenjoyer.com/case/lunavity/#DD-007-F01

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