
Lexus Builds a Functional Hoverboard Prototype - taietel
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-24/lexus-builds-a-functional-hoverboard-prototype
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geon
Superconductive magnetic locking is nothing new. Even the "hover board" has
been done before.

The whole concept is so stupid it hurts. The superconductors in the board
needs to be extremely cold, and the ground needs to be covered in magnets. Or
vice versa. The liquid nitrogen needed for this is cumbersome and will
evaporate quickly.

As seen the last time someone tried making a hover board it is impossible to
stand on it. It will slide with equal non- friction in every direction making
it impossible to keep the balance. The only alternative is to keep it locked
to a track, like a toy train.

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relet
It is perfectly possible to stand on it if it is powered. The same you can
stand on a Segway: As long as it moves itself under your center of gravity
when tilting. That would then also be the steering.

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bsaunder
The problem is, there's no friction (as the article states) for the board.
What would the board push against to adjust itself? In the Segway, the wheels
touch the ground and provide something for the motors to act against. This is
more like an astronaut in space (if I'm understanding the situation
correctly).

I like the idea (my kids would love it). It certainly has marketing value and
calls up dreams of an amazing future, but there do seem to be some real
practical problems (as the parent alludes to). Stopping seems particularly
exciting.

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derefr
Dynamic instability? E.g., give the board some extra electromagnets near the
edge, which "balance" the same way humans to, by constantly pulsing back and
forth. When you want to move, you exaggerate one half of the pulse cycle.

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phkahler
I think you're on to something. There's enough magnetic field there to
levitate a couple hundred pounds. It you can shape that field electronically,
or even by interposing the right kind of material, it might be possible to
create some lateral force.

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cafeoh
Update: We got in touch with Lexus, and confirmed that like the other examples
we've seen, there is a metal surface underneath the skate park shown here --
it's real, but you won't be riding this thing just anywhere

source : [http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/23/lexus-slide-hoverboard-
ma...](http://www.engadget.com/2015/06/23/lexus-slide-hoverboard-magnets-
teaser/)

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samstave
Can you ask them how much weight it will support?

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kriro
Doc: Roads? Where we are going we do need magnetized roads.

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avian
> The board uses liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors and magnets

This sounds like it uses the Meissner effect. If so, it will only work on
special surfaces.

Compare with Hendo, which was also way over hyped and only mentioned this
little detail in the fine print. Theirs works on a slightly different
principle though.

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DonHopkins
Insane Clown Posse is going to have a hard time explaining how this works.

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imaginenore
Meh. It's been done before. It only works above magnetic surfaces.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSheVhmcYLA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSheVhmcYLA)

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LastZactionHero
As a guy who wore out the Back to the Future II vhs growing up, the negativity
is a little frustrating.

Technical limitations? Gasp! Not practical? Such hacks! Even the movie board
didn't work on water.

It's a marketing stunt. But it's also an homage to something inspirational.

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santoriv
That was a nice marketing video. However they didn't show it actually working
aside from it just staying in one place without falling over.

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ansible
Yeah, I was laughing at that. The dude starts to step on the board, and then
the video cuts out. I guess we don't get to see him fall off almost
immediately.

What was the point of all this again?

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wmeredith
It's a teaser. Seeing what happens after he steps on the board is what they're
explicitly trying to generate interest around.

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etrautmann
couldn't disagree more. You see it dip just enough to seem like it won't work,
and then the video cuts out. I was left thinking the entire thing was
laughably ineffective, even under the constraints of magnets in the ground and
liquid nitrogen cooling.

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oldmanjay
Very few marketing efforts target the tirelessly cynical as a matter of
principle.

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fit2rule
Isn't it going to need special pavement to function? Unless they've found a
way to magnetize asphalt or something ..

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brixon
It magnetized the air. [Mind Blown]

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mrfusion
I'd like to see this phenominom attempted for a hoverboard [1]. It seems like
it might work.

[1]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3274335](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3274335)

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rokhayakebe
_It’s very confidential information but we have been studying the flying car
in our most advanced R &D area_

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savrajsingh
Neat! The video implies it could work on non-special surfaces (like concrete).
Is that possible?

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INTPenis
The video also cuts out just after the first foot is placed on the hoverboard.
Right now this is literally vaporware.

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cafeoh
Hehe, that's nice.

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orblivion
Not even a nod to Hendo, who already had Tony Hawk try out their board.

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Rainymood
So... it doesn't work yet.

What a giant cocktease video, geez ...

