Lexus' awesome Hoverboard goes on permanent display in the US

0 0

By Matthew Griffin Future Transport 22nd February 2020

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.

Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog.

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.

The founder of China's largest online retailer envisions a "100% robotic workforce"

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 soonCourtesy: 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…

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Described by NASA as a "Walking Encyclopaedia of the Future" and one of the world’s most in demand keynote speakers Matthew Griffin, Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm, is a multi-award winning Futurist and strategic foresight expert, author, lecturer, mentor, podcast and YouTube host.

With a distinguished career running global business units at Atos, EMC, and IBM today Matthew helps leaders and titans of industry from all over the world explore the impact of the inter sections of technology, culture, and leadership, then helps them create high performance organisations that can continuously disrupt, outpace, and outthink their competition.

15 times author of the hit series the Codex of the Future series Matthew's ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends on global business, culture, and society has earned him a powerful reputation and a roster of clients that include royal households, world leaders across the G7, G20, and G77, and many of the world's most recognised and exceptional organisations including ABB, Accenture, ABN Amro, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi Group, Coca Cola, Deloitte, Dentons, Disney, Dow, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Microsoft, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Nokia, Paramount, PepsiCo, PWC, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, T-Mobile, UBS, Visa, WIRED, WPP and hundreds of others.

Matthew is regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, and his mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.