Real-life flying ‘Up’ house goes airborne

By Molly McHugh Published March 9, 2011

Some things belong only in the world of animated movies, but if you believed a floating house tied to balloons was one them, you’d be wrong. National Geographic decided to try its hand at recreating the balloon house from Pixar’s Up, and used hundreds of eight foot tall weather balloons to take a 2,000 pound brick house (complete with passengers) skyward.

The experiment wasn’t for whimsy alone. The project was part of National Geographic’s coming series How Hard Can it Be? and also earned its participants (which included the likes of balloon pilots, scientists, and engineers) the new world record for “largest balloon cluster flight ever attempted.”

The new television series debuts this fall, so set a reminder now to tune in and watch the balloon house madness go down.

Check out the behind-the-scenes video below for more on the flying balloon house.

Molly McHugh

Former Social Media/Web Editor

Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…

Topics

Computing

Study finds humans will talk to AI ghosts of the dead as reincarnations, and it’s pretty grim

The first AI ghost study is in. The results are about as complicated as you'd expect.

A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder confirms something that sounds both impressive and concerning. People find interacting with AI simulations of their dead loved ones deeply meaningful, and most will come away wanting to do it again.

The researchers call it a "generative ghost," which is a clear reference to generative AI, but I’d still prefer to call it unsettling.

Emerging Tech

China’s UBTech unveils eerily lifelike companion robots, and yes, they want to move in with you

UBTech's new humanoid robots are built for companionship, using emotion-aware AI, long-term memory, and humanlike expressions to become part of your everyday life.

A humanoid robot designed to live in your house, learn your habits, and pick up on your mood without being prompted is no longer science fiction. Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics unveiled its Uworld U1 series this week, introducing three robots built for companionship rather than factory work or household chores.

A body that moves like yours, and a brain that reads how you feel

Emerging Tech

This $249 LED sign wants to fix your work-life balance

My productivity isn't worth $249... or is it?

Flipper Devices has built a reputation among hackers and hardware enthusiasts with the Flipper Zero, a pocket-sized gadget capable of interacting with RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, and other wireless protocols. Now, the London-based company is taking a very different approach.

Its latest product, the Busy Bar, is a desktop productivity display designed to help users stay focused, signal their availability, and automate parts of their workflow. After being teased last year, the device is finally going on sale on July 14. While the concept is genuinely clever, its starting price of up to $249 may make many buyers think twice.