Hendo Hoverboard
Remember the HUVr? It was supposed to be the first hoverboard (like the
one in Back To The Future), but it turned out to be a prank, and Tony
Hawk helped dupe us with his appearance in HUVr’s video. Well, Tony just
made an appearance in another hoverboard video, but this time it’s no joke (check out the HUVr prank video below).
The Hendo Hoverboard is no prank. The prototype is real and it actually hovers about an inch off the ground. Imagine stepping on this board, feeling a bit of a sink as you put one foot on and then a little bounce as you transfer all of your weight onto the board, and then you glide around, slightly above the ground and smoother than any wheeled ride. If you can’t imagine such a thing, just take a look at Tony Hawk doing it in the video below.
The Hendo Hoverboard works by inducing an opposing magnetic field in the surface substrate below, which provides lift. Picture placing the north pole of a magnet near the north pole of another magnet. Those magnets repel each other. This is pretty much the idea behind Hendo.
Right now, the Hendo Hoverboard is still in its developmental stages, and it’s use is limited by battery life and the fact that you need a copper surface on which to ride. The battery lasts for about 7 minutes and the hover engines only work with a copper floor.
Hendo Team
Though the Hendo Hoverboard has its limitations, the technology is there. There hoverboard concept has been applied and a working prototype produced. The Hendo team is, of course, working to develop this concept into something that’s readily accessible to the public. They are working on new surface compounds and board configurations to maximize the technology and bring down the costs of producing their hoverboard.
The goal is to one day have hoverboards that float over any surface, but right now Hendo is working on developing hoverparks to go with their boards. These parks will incorporate designs from traditional skate parks and materials that will allow the Hendo Hoverboard to fly around seamlessly.
Tony Hawk On The Hendo
If you’re a Marty McFly fan or just interested in the technology behind the Hendo Hoverboard, you can check out their Kickstarter page for more information. You can even do your part to help advance the technology and maybe get your own hoverboard one day.
