Ever wondered how it actually feels like to ride a hoverboard? Well here’s a Kickstarter project that might just give you a firsthand experience.
If there was one piece of technology that was just as sensational as the time machine itself in Back to the Future II, that would probably have to be Marty McFly’s futuristic hoverboard. Unfortunately, even as we approach one year before 2015, the technology seems to be still far from us…
Or is it? A new Kickstarter project just came out detailing an invention that might just be our own version of the hoverboard, named aptly as the HoverSkater. Don’t let that ordinary-looking longboard design fool you, because it has the potential to bring the experience of riding a real hoverboard, albeit in a much more down to earth method.
In the movies, hoverboards work by using futuristic levitation technology. The HoverSkater on the other hand, uses standard hovercraft technology. Yes, it’s the same ground levitation method that we already use in amphibious transport vehicles, and apparently the same one used in this Star Wars-style hoverbike. The skater basically rides on a cushion of air as it speeds up along the road, with the internal turbine giving it lift, the skater’s feet giving it partial control, and a hand-controller giving precision control adjustments.
While this means that you won’t see the board actually lift itself at a considerable distance from the ground, you’ll least get to watch it slide smoothly along the road. As the developers stated, it would feel like “surfing on a bubble of air”, thus the sensation would definitely be a lot similar to the actual hoverboard.
As for the decision to go with a longboard design, the product description*claimed*that while it can perfectly work without wheels, the risk of losing control is still quite considerable. This is especially true when we take into account the obvious fact that riding hovercraft boards isn’t exactly a mainstream sport yet.The developers needed a design that would make it safe to use for everyone, and the longboard design seemed to be the most efficient, even if it does lose a lot of points in the futuristic design category.
So, do you think the idea is feasible enough and want to support the HoverSkater project? Getting the early bird special though would cost a quite steep $1400. But hey, at least this one’s way more tangible than this faker.
Source: Kickstarter
Read More: http://ift.tt/1nXps5m
If there was one piece of technology that was just as sensational as the time machine itself in Back to the Future II, that would probably have to be Marty McFly’s futuristic hoverboard. Unfortunately, even as we approach one year before 2015, the technology seems to be still far from us…
Or is it? A new Kickstarter project just came out detailing an invention that might just be our own version of the hoverboard, named aptly as the HoverSkater. Don’t let that ordinary-looking longboard design fool you, because it has the potential to bring the experience of riding a real hoverboard, albeit in a much more down to earth method.
In the movies, hoverboards work by using futuristic levitation technology. The HoverSkater on the other hand, uses standard hovercraft technology. Yes, it’s the same ground levitation method that we already use in amphibious transport vehicles, and apparently the same one used in this Star Wars-style hoverbike. The skater basically rides on a cushion of air as it speeds up along the road, with the internal turbine giving it lift, the skater’s feet giving it partial control, and a hand-controller giving precision control adjustments.
While this means that you won’t see the board actually lift itself at a considerable distance from the ground, you’ll least get to watch it slide smoothly along the road. As the developers stated, it would feel like “surfing on a bubble of air”, thus the sensation would definitely be a lot similar to the actual hoverboard.
As for the decision to go with a longboard design, the product description*claimed*that while it can perfectly work without wheels, the risk of losing control is still quite considerable. This is especially true when we take into account the obvious fact that riding hovercraft boards isn’t exactly a mainstream sport yet.The developers needed a design that would make it safe to use for everyone, and the longboard design seemed to be the most efficient, even if it does lose a lot of points in the futuristic design category.
So, do you think the idea is feasible enough and want to support the HoverSkater project? Getting the early bird special though would cost a quite steep $1400. But hey, at least this one’s way more tangible than this faker.
Source: Kickstarter
Read More: http://ift.tt/1nXps5m
via Hardware Forums http://ift.tt/1u82lXC
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