Based on popular hype, it appears that the best tech product of 2015 is the hoverboard. The latest product to steal the limelight is the ArcaBoard which costs $20,000, more than the price of a brand new Volkswagen Jetta.
The ArcaBoard is a product of Arca Space Corporation. The company specializes in aerospace vehicles which are usually used in private space flights.
Despite its hefty price tag and impressive specs, the ArcaBoard can only stay on flight for six minutes at most. The hoverboard is powered by a set of 36 electric ducted fans. Overall, the contraption can create up to 272 horsepower which can propel the hoverboard up to a foot above the ground.
The ArcaBoard can hover up to six minutes for riders weighing up to 176 pounds. The same hoverboard model can hover up to three minutes for riders who weigh up to 243 pounds. Integrated sensors within the hoverboard limit its speed by up to 12.5 miles per hour.
The ArcaBoard, despite its high tech features, does not look like futuristic at all. The hoverboard looks like a rectangular box that lacks interesting aesthetics.
Compared to other hoverboards, like the Lexus Slide and the Hendo, the ArcaBoard can hover on almost any terrain including rocky and water surfaces.
According to CNet, the biggest hurdle faced by the ArcaBoard is its price tag. A huge chunk of that price tag goes to the battery pack. Arca Space Corporation claims that a replacement battery array can cost up to $6,840.
According to Extreme Tech, the ArcaBoard is currently available for pre-orders with an expected shipping date slated on April 15, 2016.