Lexus are the unlikely brains behind every futurist's fantasyCar giant Lexus, bored with the limited possibilities offered by gravity-bound vehicles with wheels, have revealed plans to unveil a hoverboard on August 5th. It has been in development for the past 18 months and promises a load of sci-fi features, including frictionless magnetic levitation and liquid nitrogen cooled superconductors. The short trailer shows the prototype hoverboard alongside its test rider, pro-skater Ross McGouran – sadly there’s no actual riding featured as of yet, but it’s made up for with a lot of theatrical mist and some slick action shots. As it works using magnetic levitation, akin to the high speed Shanghai Maglev Train, it means that any rideable surfaces will have to be metallic for now – but it’s still fulfilling every retro-futurist’s dream. No word yet as to whether it’s an elaborate Back to the Future anniversary hoax. Slowly, but surely, we've seen technology making our sci-fi fantasies reality, with products such as Nokia's Ozo making VR easier than ever and Deus Ex Aria setting their sights on smartwatch mind control.Still hungry for more? Sign up for our weekly supplement featuring the latest news, profiles, features and innovation
An actual real life hoverboard
Discussion