https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/142464853/hendo-hoverboards-worlds-first-real-hoverboard Uhm... wat? Ah... okay, it only works on certain surfaces. So, it's like a wheel-free skateboard that only works in specific parks that they create... interesting.
But there's a big problem. With this kind of skateboard you cannot do any tricks with it. You can only stay on the flat surface and can't go over rails, do flips or other stuff the skateboarders do.
That's a good point... how would they do those kind of tricks... wouldn't the magnets coerce the craft into a stable "flight"?
In the schmaltzy video the hoverboard does slopes a bit, but I was thinking you could have as much fun on ice and snow. The video was completely devoid of scientific explanation. They may as well have set it in Doctor Frankenstein's laboratory for all the science explained in that scene. I resented his,"Finally the wheel has some competition." remark. I rather like wheels. They've done a lot for me. And Henderson's inside-out T-shirt! I do that too; it's comfortable, but if I were making a scientific breakthrough video and asking people for money, I'd wear my clothes the right way around.
From the first few lines of their sale's pitch it sounded like circular advertising jargon that says a whole bunch of words with no actual meaning implied (Much like others have stated they didn't graze the nature of the science at play). While indeed such a system would limit kids to only specific parks build for it (no mall invasions) the concerns of the limitations (in regards to tricks etc) are very real. It might be possible to apply a smart sensory method to turn the device off/on when a particular trick is suppose to occur, however currently it looks fairly cumbersome. The difference between their system and a skateboard will likely be in the weight, a skateboard while having wheels and axles doesn't have a battery or fancy equipment to generate lift. (I do query if any attempt to recapture converted energy is being applied or if it's just a huge energy sink) They might be using a form of Electromagnetic induction to produce power to the board from the ramp to cause the magnetic lift, however this has it's drawbacks. If the Ramp/Surface is "Smart" then any quadrant of it could be turned on/off or increased/decreased in power output, Such states might be referenced to the detection of the active board or a passive RFID. This is a concern because in a modern world of people learning how to hack smart devices, this would be one such toy that would become targeted. "Griefing" is very popular in the online gaming communities unfortunately and would quite likely appear in any applied environment where a "toy" isn't seen as something fun and recreational but actually something competitive. On a plus side however the speeds that you could potentially achieve (if given a long enough stretch) could be far higher than any wheeled board. (Just consider MAGLEV trains to get an idea) It would make an interesting Toboggan run using a Maglev cart, however you wouldn't be able to step outside the cart once it starts moving.
Yeah Stryder. I hadn't even thought about the batteries required or what power source the hendo board uses. Maybe hover boards and cars will be like Dick Tracy visual phone watches. The technology is now here, but we find people just aren't all that interested. You can see who you are talking to, but they might not especially want to be seen at times for whatever reason (just out of bed, on the can... ) So you car can hover a foot above the elector-magnetized road instead of having wheels? Is this fiscally responsible when rubber tires and asphalt will do? The solution is more complicated than the problem. When will people learn? Re-inventing the wheel is like, well, re-inventing the wheel?
