Lexus Unveils Working Hoverboard

GMA - Lexus has just revealed the fully working prototype of their SLIDE hoverboard, which the luxury car maker first hinted at in June this year. The full and final testing of the hoverboard took place in Cubelles, Barcelona, Spain. The fruit of 18 months of work, and the project is a collaboration between scientists from IFW Dresden and evico GmbH. Professional skateboarder Ross McGouran served as the test rider. Two “cryostats” filled with superconducting material are kept at a temperature of -197 degrees using liquid nitrogen. A special hoverpark was built to test out the hoverboard, with around 200 m of magnetic tracks installed beneath the hoverpark’s surface. According to Dr. Oliver de Haas, evico CEO, “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.”