'Back to the Future' Hoverboards Exist Now...Sort Of (VIDEO)

Want to be as cool as Marty McFly? Well, you're going to need a hoverboard, the flying skateboard from Back to the Future that doesn't technically exist in our world.

Well, until now.

Arx Pax, a company based out of Los Gatos, California, claims to have created the real thing. However, don't expect to get all that far on it.

The hoverboard Arx Pax has created really DOES levitate, but with one catch: it can only hover on special, magnetic surfaces. This is because the hoverboard uses magnetic levitation for its motion, similar to the technology used by maglev trains. Of course, this also means that the hoverboard doesn't get very far off the ground either.

The current prototype of the hoverboard, named the Hendo, hovers roughly 3cm off the ground, and is capable of carrying a max weight of about 140kg (equivalent to two average-sized people) for 15 minutes. How does it do this? The strong magnetic field repulses ground-based materials, allowing it to hover above the ground, meaning you can float above a floor as long as it's made of such non-ferrous metals as copper or aluminium. A little disappointing? Sure. But still awesome. So very, very awesome.

To make this a reality at a larger scale, however, Arx Pax needs the help of consumers. The company has opened up a Kickstarter page, with a goal of $250,000 to refine its prototype and begin production on the Hendo. It's a tall order, but since pledges start at just $5, the company is optimistic about the potential of the product.

"About two years ago, we began investigating magnetic field architecture (MFA) and hover technology as a better way to build, move people and move materials," said Greg Henderson, the founder of Arx Pax. “During our research, we discovered a way to transmit electromagnetic technology that is far more efficient than anything else. This means that our patent-pending Hendo Hover Engine technology can enable platforms to hover over non-ferrous materials with payloads of virtually any size and weight.”

Credit: Arx Pax

Sure, the Hendo isn't perfect, but it's still surprisingly functional...

The Hendo has no form of forceful propulsion at the moment, and so drifts across surfaces. But it is possible to generate a gentle bias towards one direction or another using the magnetic fields generated beneath the board using touch-sensitive plates under foot. They allow rotating the board, but moving forward still needs a push off something a bit more solid.

Arx Pax is also offering the magnetic field technology in a small developer box controlled by a smartphone app, which is aimed at hackers looking to use the technology for something else including industrial uses for transporting heavy loads.

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Pledges start at $5 with $299 buying a developer kit but those looking for a working Hendo board will have to shell out $10,000

It's a pricey buy-in point, it's clear that this project has been a passion for Arx Pax, since the Hendo is currently their 18th prototype, illustrating just how long the company has been working to get this project right. And that suggests a lot of time, money, and effort.

“While the possibilities are both exciting and nearly limitless, we decided to build a hoverboard prototype and hover engine developer kits right out of the gate,” said Henderson. “It is still early days, but we are absolutely thrilled because we have proven conclusively that what was widely considered impossible is, in fact, possible.”

While this isn't exactly like the hoverboard from the Back to the Future series, I've certainly seen worse uses for a Kickstarter campaign, so I don't begrudge Arx Pax one bit for trying to get this thing funded. Just the idea of it, and the notion that someone even got this far, is kind of awesome.

Via: The Guardian