Lexus SLIDE hoverboard (Photo : YouTube)
Toyota's luxury car division Lexus has invented a "SLIDE" prototype hoverboard like the one Marty McFly rides in the "Back to the Future Part II (1989)" movie, which includes a flash-forward to 2015. This week the company released a video featuring a pro skateboarder doing amazing tricks like the ones in the film, by floating over a skatepark's magnet track in Spain.
In the clip pro skater Ross McGouran gave the new gadget a test ride. He said that he has been skateboarding for two decades, but mastering it without friction was a new skill in terms of the posture and balance required, according to Today Online.
It took a while for the pro to get used to SLIDE. However, he then started doing incredible moves like ones from the movie, such as leaping over cars and floating across water.
McGouran said that his experience was hard to put into words. He explained that while it was scary at first, riding the board became more fun as he got used to drifting in mid-air.
Lexus developed the hoverboard by inserting High Temperature Superconducting Blocks (HTSLs) in cryostats (liquid nitrogen containers). They cool the conductors to -322°F (-197°C).
Next, the high-tech board is positioned above a track of magnets. When the device is cooled to an exact operational temperature, the magnetic flux (force field) lines are "frozen," maintaining the board's uniform hovering height, according to People.
The bottom line is that the device must float over magnets. Thus, the entire skatepark was equipped with the iron-attracting pieces for the product demo.
The Lexus hoverboard is not on sale. However, just 18 months after Toyota launched the project, the invention shows promise that it could eventually become an everyday mode of transportation.
Lexus was founded in 1989. It has become the best-selling luxury car manufacturer in Japan and is one of the country's top-10 global brands in terms of market value.
