Hoverboards

     Could the future of transportation be floating right in front of our eyes? Many people are thinking that HOVERBOARDS could be just what we're looking for! I know, the word hoverboard probably sounds crazy when we're talking about real life, but it's really not too far-fetched. Would it also sound completely bonkers if i told you that there actually is such thing as a real, working hoverboard!? With huge steps being made to produce these futuristic skateboards, those "crazy" people may be on the right track.

Figure 1

     So you've probably seen those segway-like "hoverboards" all over the inernet. With two wheels, a motor, and no handlebars they look like a ton of fun, and seem to be legit, but those aren't quite what I'm talking about. I want to tell you about the real deal, a board that actually hovers above the ground! No strings attached! The car company, Lexus, has made these futuristic toys a reality!

     Lexus started brainstorming for their hoverboard in 2012 without even knowing if their idea would work. However, in three years the people at Lexus made a working prototype of what they set out for (1). They came out with the news of their hoverboard by showing a commercial on TV of trained professionals riding the board(1). It looks super fun and even a little bit odd that it wasn't touching the ground. What most people thought would never happen was being shown before their eyes as these riders floated across the pavement in the video.

Figure 2



     Now how exactly did Lexus make something float? Well I'm about to tell you! I bet you would never think of using magnets to get anything off of the ground, but that's just how they did it (2)! Have you ever been playing with a magnet and suddenly it won't stick together? As hard as you push, the magnet just pushes back until you give up, right?That's because magnets have two poles, a positive pole and a negative pole. If you put negative and positive poles close to each other, they stick together like glue. But if you put alike poles together, they push apart with great force. The people at Lexus used extremely powerful magnets with alike poles pushing against each other to get the board to float(2). Pretty smart, huh?



Figure 3

     After all that science talk, you're probably bored out of your mind. But you should really be thinking about how fun it would be to test one out! Sadly, these boards are not quite ready to be put into stores and bought as this year's coolest Christmas gift. The new hoverboard still has to pass a lot of tests to see how safe if is for someone to ride, and how long it can hold its charge. It wouldn't be too great if you got on your brand new hoverboard and you fell off and got hurt. Or even worse, if you start using your hoverboard, and it suddenly ran out of battery! Lexus hopes to make this new board to be safe and easy to use as well. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to wait a little bit longer for a perfect hoverboard, rather than one that breaks down all the time.

     I don't know exactly when hoverboards will be able to be owned by everyone, but I do know that it's not too far away. As long as we have smart scientists working super hard to make them both safe and fun, they should be here in no time. And when they do arrive on your front doorstep, don't forget to wear your helmet, knee pads, and wrist guards!

(1) Lexus International. (a) (2015, August). The Lexus Hoverboard: It’s Here [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwSwZ2Y0Ops

(2) Lexus International. (b) (2015, August). The Lexus Hoverboard: The Science [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM0sRctOxQc