The Lexus Hoverboard Is Real & This Is How It Works

by Aaron Dezonie

They only went and did it. Its like back to the future came true.

Just as promised, Lexus has come through with a full and final reveal of its highly-anticipated hoverboard. Yes, Back to the Future fans, go ahead and rejoice in unison. The board has been in development for 18 months, as Lexus — alongside a team of scientists from IFW Dresden and evico GmbH — have recently concluded a successful testing stage in Barcelona, courtesy of pro skateboarder and hoverboard test rider Ross McGouran.

 

Thanks to the above visual titled SLIDE, you can get a look at the company’s innovative hoverboard in action. In speaking on the actual riding of the board, McGouran details, “I’ve spent 20 years skateboarding, but without friction it feels like I’ve had to learn a whole new skill, particularly in the stance and balance in order to ride the hoverboard. It’s a whole new experience.”

The Lexus Hoverboard features two “cryostats,” reservoirs in which superconducting material is kept at -197 degrees through immersion in liquid nitrogen. Permanent magnets then rest underneath the board, as Dr. Oliver de Haas, evico CEO, says, “The magnetic field from the track is effectively ‘frozen’ into the superconductors in the board, maintaining the distance between the board and the track—essentially keeping the board hovering. This force is strong enough to allow the rider to stand and even jump on the board.”

To learn more about the incredible Lexus Hoverboard, the SLIDE story, and other Amazing in Motion projects from the company, follow here.

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