Unlike the fire-prone unicycle-skateboard combination that calls itself Hoverboard or the magnet-powered hoverboards created by Hendo and Lexus, ArcaBoard actually hovers up to a foot over any surface like concrete, sand or even water.
To create enough lift, the board is packed with 36 high-power electric ducted fans that create up to 272 horsepower and 430 lb of thrust. The batteries that provide the juice for all that power last a maximum of six minutes for a range of a little over a mile at a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour. The batteries take about 35 minutes to fully charge, but the company is also making replacement packs available that take less than a minute to swap out.
Thanks to new production partnerships worked out with American and Chinese companies such as Southwest Composite Works Inc. and Eco Molding Co., the originally estimated price of $19,000 has dropped to $14,900. The company is taking preorders now with deliveries scheduled to begin in April — bringing us one step closer to the world of Marty McFly.
SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Could hoverboards like ArcaBoard become a standard mode of transportation? What other ways could you see technology like this being used?
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