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WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

Many of the things we thought of as sci-fi are now sci-fact, but some are more ready for commercialisation than others.

 

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Back in 2015, Lexus, who in another world first recently got an AI to write the script for their latest car advert, unveiled a stunning hoverboard prototype and needless to say the mysterious project titled SLIDE had sci-fi fans and Back to the Future fans drooling into their morning coffee, and when you have a look at the video below it’s no wonder why.

 

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In the original video Pro skateboarder Ross McGouran attempted to boardslide the hoverboard and drop into skate bowls in a custom built skatepark using nothing more than the magic of magnetic levitation, and the mist you can see emanating from the side of the board is actually from the liquid nitrogen used to cool the superconductors and magnets inside it that help it levitate, and just one of the many reasons that prevented the hoverboard from being commercialised.

 

See the awesome Hoverboard in action
 

Now though, five years on from the hoverboards original debut Lexus have decided to put it on permanent display and teamed up with Crealev and Frozen Fish Design, who created the board, to find a way to hide the magnets and bring the magic of magnetic levitation, and hoverboards, to the general public.

 

The new display, coming to a museum near you soon
Courtesy: Lexus and Crealev
 

So, while you still won’t be able to buy one anytime soon, now at least you can stare at it longingly. However, that said, as we make strides in developing new superconductors, including ones that work at room temperature and don’t need to be super-cooled to work, and mega magnets, and apply the magic of magnetic levitation to new Mach 1 and Mach 3 Hyperloop trains it might not be as long as you think before you can skate around on one…

About author

Matthew Griffin

Matthew Griffin, described as “The Adviser behind the Advisers” and a “Young Kurzweil,” is the founder and CEO of the World Futures Forum and the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures consultancy working between the dates of 2020 to 2070, and is an award winning futurist, and author of “Codex of the Future” series. Regularly featured in the global media, including AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, RT, Viacom, and WIRED, Matthew’s ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of revolutionary emerging technologies on global culture, industry and society, is unparalleled. Recognised for the past six years as one of the world’s foremost futurists, innovation and strategy experts Matthew is an international speaker who helps governments, investors, multi-nationals and regulators around the world envision, build and lead an inclusive, sustainable future. A rare talent Matthew’s recent work includes mentoring Lunar XPrize teams, re-envisioning global education and training with the G20, and helping the world’s largest organisations envision and ideate the future of their products and services, industries, and countries. Matthew's clients include three Prime Ministers and several governments, including the G7, Accenture, Aon, Bain & Co, BCG, Credit Suisse, Dell EMC, Dentons, Deloitte, E&Y, GEMS, Huawei, JPMorgan Chase, KPMG, Lego, McKinsey, PWC, Qualcomm, SAP, Samsung, Sopra Steria, T-Mobile, and many more.

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