DailyDirt: Hoverboards Are Real!
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
The "magic" of magnets have been observed for quite some time, but it's not actually an easily explained phenomenon that magnets can repel and attract in various configurations. Still, we can take advantage of this property of magnets, and create some amazing tricks of levitation that seemingly defy gravity. We could have a commercial hoverboard for kids to play with (as an actual toy) pretty soon, and we could potentially have some other even cooler devices based on "hover" technology. If only we could get a Mr. Fusion device together....- The Hendo hoverboard is a product available for pre-order (just $10,000!) -- and it can hover on non-ferrous metal surfaces. There have been pranks about Back To The Future hoverboards before, but this device is patent pending and appears to work in demonstrations. According to the patent application, it appears to rely on motors for spinning a Halbach array of magnets to maintain controlled magnetic levitation (similar to the Inductrack concept) -- and could be useful for isolating buildings from earthquakes. [url]
- If you want to build your own levitating bed (and float like a frozen-in-carbonite Han Solo), just follow a few easy steps. And be VERY careful handling those super strong magnets. [url]
- The Northeast Maglev company wants to connect NYC and DC with a high speed train that could be built by 2024. A floating train project crossing that corridor would costs tens of billions, and it needs to overcome plenty of bureaucratic/political hurdles as well. But wouldn't it be nice to get from NYC to Washington in about an hour? [url]
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Filed Under: halbach array, high speed rail, hover technology, hoverboard, maglev, magnetic levitation, magnets, transportation
Companies: arx pax, hendo, northeast maglev
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what the...?
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NYC to Washington in an hour
There is the commute from the airport one might save, yes, but putting maglev tracks in central NYC is not really a convincing option either even though the actual port will eat up less area. So the commute will be necessary with maglev as well.
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Re: NYC to Washington in an hour
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Real, but REALLY impractical
Save yourself a lot of money and a headache - buy a regular damn skate board and report these morons to whoever is supposed to keep rip-offs like this off kickstarter.
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Re: Real, but REALLY impractical
Indeed, this so-called "inventor" talks more like a late-night infomercial huckster, big on imagery and fanciful dreams but scarce on actual details of what he's selling. The promotional videos never discuss what's actually "under the hood" and the only way donors/buyers can learn anything about how it's constructed is to read the patent.
The Hoverboard, as presented, is something that most any handyman with a typical garage workshop could make for a tiny fraction of the $10,000 price charged. Like many of these "crowd-funded" projects, it comes off as just another sucker-bait designed to part fools from their money.
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Re: Re: Real, but REALLY impractical
http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/9/5793494/toyota-has-been-investigating-cars-that-hover-above-the- road
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Re: Re: Re: Real, but REALLY impractical
Otherwise, most cars, including the famously airplane-wing shaped Volkswagen Beetle, get increasing lighter the faster their speed, making high-speed travel even more dangerous.
The singlemost practical use of magnetic levitation yet conceived is high-speed trains, though with the efficiency of modern wheel bearings continuing to improve, even that's debatable, especially when cost is factored in.
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