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ArcaBoard - A Real Hoverboard

Posted: December 31, 2015
$19,900
from
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The ArcaBoard is indeed a real hoverboard. It looks like a giant domino. In this case though, the brick is a composition of aerospace grade composite materials, and the pips an arrangement of 36 high-powered Electric Ducted Fans. Liftoff is achieved when the fans fire up to produce up to 430 pounds of thrust and 272 horsepower. A built-in stabilization unit keeps you (fairly) level in various outdoor conditions, and ArcaBoard control and navigation come courtesy of your own smartphone. Cool...I guess. But I don't know, dude, at this point I'm kind of tired of the whole levitating personal transporter fad. Each new release trying to claim it has the physics figured out with magnets or sound waves or air pressure. Or the lot that slap wheels on the bottom and don't even try to leave the ground, but still call themselves hoverboards. The ArcaBoard might be the most authentic take so far on what Marty McFly rode around Hill Valley on, but it's still not even close to a replica.

Also, it costs almost $20,000.

Obviously the 3 dozen EDFs powering it, and rendering it strong enough to hold a 243-pound person, account for most of the ArcaBoard's elephantine nature. The rest of the machine consists mostly of controllers, batteries, and a cooling system to dissipate the mass amount of heat that builds up during use. During rides, any iOS or Android smartphone can pair with the ArcaBoard via Bluetooth. With the board's stabilization system on, all you need to do is sit down and move your phone with your hand; it will replicate your movements. There is also the option to turn off the stabilization system, at which point the phone controls only the board's elevation.

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