Subscribe

Lexus makes hoverboard debut

Lauren Kate Rawlins
By Lauren Kate Rawlins, ITWeb digital and innovation contributor.
Johannesburg, 25 Jun 2015
Lexus has created a futuristic hoverboard.
Lexus has created a futuristic hoverboard.

The creators of the 1985 cult classic "Back to the Future" were not far off when they imagined 2015 would see people getting around on hoverboards. Car-manufacturing company Lexus has created a prototype that will thrill sci-fi fans.

The hoverboard, named Slide, forms part of the Lexus "Amazing in Motion" campaign. The project aims to pursue new possibilities in advanced design and technology; other projects before Slide included Strobe, Swarm and Steps.

Slide works by using magnetic levitation with liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors and permanent magnets, which the company claims creates frictionless movement.

There was mixed reaction to the news on social media, with some commentators being sceptical: "Don't play with my emotions, I'm not falling for this again," said one Facebook user. Another said: "Great. You have until October 21st to get it to market," referencing a date in "Back to the Future II".

The prototype is being tested in Barcelona in the coming weeks prior to the campaign's launch this summer. The hoverboard is not yet for sale.

To see a video of the board in action, click here.

Share