Hoverboard
By Kyle Gilligan
A newer
technology that’s getting a lot of attention this week is the Hendo hoverboard.
This product will not be to unfamiliar to those who have seen the hoverboard in
the Back to the Future series. However, the current prototype could hardly be
compared to the hoverboard that was seen in the films. The Hendo hoverboard
uses magnetic fields for hovering which means that it requires a smooth metal
surface to hover over. Arx Pax, the company that created the hoverboard,
believes that the technology could eventually be developed to work on any
surface. Here is a video that shows what the current hoverboard can do.
It is likely
that most of you have already heard of using a similar technology for bullet
trains. However, the change in technology that Arx PAx is presenting is to
bring this technology to more stationary objects and a system that will
eventually be able to operate on any surface. Arx Pax believes that there are
countless areas where this technology can be applied, and honestly, the hoverboard
for humans doesn’t seem to be where they are focusing. The idea originally
began with a hope of being able to levitate buildings to protect them from
earthquakes. Now they are also talking about solutions to help company’s move inventory
in warehouses and more efficient ways for aircraft to take off.
Undoubtedly,
this technology does have the potential to change the way we live and work. If
this technology is developed to the point where it can work on any surface, it
could likely change the way that we go anywhere.
What do you
think the potential for this kind of technology is?
Learn more about the Hendo hoverboard and the company in these articles:
First thing I thought of was the Back to the Future series when I saw the word 'hoverboard.'
ReplyDeleteThe potential for this type of technology to grow is widely expected and known (bullet trains). It's hard to pinpoint exactly where it could be used, but eventually it could lead to the development of flying cars. More specifically, transitioning from driving on the ground and then into the air.
You also mentioned that this technology doesn't seem to intended for just hocerboards, but also to prevent infrastructure damage due to earthquakes, inventory control, etc.
The question is how will they create a vast and large network of magnets (in the ground) so that these ideas can be implemented? That's probably the toughest thing to overcome.
I can only really imagine this technology working with the presence of magnets. I could see it working in a warehouse with a magnetic floor for making storage and moving solutions more efficient. I could see hover boarding turning into a sport. Maybe it could also work for public transportation buses if streets could somehow be magnetically charged.
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