When you think about hoverboards, you probably think about the various hoverboards that have been hitting the news lately that have the multiple high-power propellers attached to a board.
But Toyota's subsidiary luxury brand Lexus says they've just created a new hoverboard prototype that uses magnetic technology to float in the air rather than noisy, power-hungry propellers.
Well, this definitely escalated quickly; and this changes everything.
According to Lexus' own Web site, it would appear that the new hoverboard technology is powered by very powerful magnets, as well as nitrogen-cooled semiconductors.
The major caveat behind this cool new toy is that unlike the propeller alternatives, such as the one the Canadian man used to break a world record as recorded by Guinness World Records, use of this hoverboard requires an environment where magnets are built into the ground. This is what allows the magnets in the hoverboard to stay afloat in mid-air.
In the video below, you will see the hoverboard hovering over what appears to be a concrete surface, but what Lexus doesn't tell you is that the magnets are actually under the concrete.
The look and feel of this hoverboard is more like Marty McFly's from the popular 1980's science-fiction movie Back to the Future 2 than any other hoverboard concept that we've ever seen. It looks downright futuristic.
At this point in time, it's nothing more than a top-secret prototype, but Lexus hopes to harness this technology in cool ways in the future. This will obviously mean more research is necessary to build understanding of this technology and find practical uses for it. Lexus promises to release more information on the hoverboard technology in the future when it feels that it has been perfected, or is ready for the public.
It sure would be cool to get your hands on one of these, wouldn't it?
Source: Lexus
