Of all of the ‘futuristic’ gadgets that popular culture has dangled in front of consumers without the satisfaction of it being real, the Back to the Future hoverboard (okay, and self-lacing shoes) rank among the highest in the list. While we’ve seen various attempts to create hoverboards over the years – as evidenced by a quick search on Instructables – the necessary technology combined with the physics of keeping a 120+ lb human being lifted in the air just haven’t converged yet – until now, at least.
In a video posted by Lexus on Tuesday, the brand claims that they have created a “real, rideable hoverboard” called SLIDE.
Although the video is short and doesn’t actually show anybody riding the SLIDE, we do see it hovering above the ground on its own before a rider jumps on it and the scene cuts out. As much as we’d like to believe that his is real, it’s too early to say if this is a really late April Fool’s Day prank done with some nice After Effects trickery.
“The Lexus Hoverboard uses magnetic levitation to achieve amazing frictionless movement,” says the company. “Liquid nitrogen cooled superconductors and permanent magnets combine to allow Lexus to create the impossible.”
…if you’ve ever wanted to know what a hoverboard advertisement would sound like from an automaker, there ya go.
As for the design of the SLIDE – as great as it looks – one could only wonder what it would look like after a few practice sessions and subsequently, more than a handful of dings. In any case, whether the SLIDE is real or not, it’s nice to keep the hoverboard conversation alive; the brand has stated on the SLIDE website that it will be releasing new images and videos weekly under the hashtag #LexusHover.
