Marty McFly made it to the future, and we're still waiting for things like Mr. Fusion and dehydrated pizzas that are made in seconds, but the concept of the hoverboard has appeared in the media more than once, with different prototypes that require special surfaces. However, the ArcaBoard takes a more traditional path like brute force, using a total of 36 fans to lift a person several centimeters… for a short time.
The Hoverboard We Care About
On one hand, there's the hoverboard that the great Marty McFly used in his adventures, the one we all secretly desire. On the other, there's that two-wheeled hoverboard that looks like an anemic Segway and is leaving a trail of destruction thanks to its popularity as a Christmas gift. Naturally, we're interested in the first “type” of hoverboard. Advanced projects like the Hendo and the Lexus Hover turned into reality what was once exclusive to science fiction, but both models carry the requirement of a special track. In other words, what we want is a hoverboard that works anywhere.
The ArcaBoard promises that, and it does so in the most conventional way possible: 36 fans, 272 horsepower, 196 kilograms of thrust, and an impressive amount of lithium batteries. The people at ArcaSpace, the aerospace company behind this hoverboard, started out as one of the original competitors for the Ansari X Prize in 2004, but the official ArcaBoard video makes it clear they've decided to redirect their efforts. The ArcaBoard won't win any prizes for its aesthetics and seems incredibly hard to control—assuming the pilot has any real control at all (yes, it has self-stabilization, and it can be flown with a smartphone). How high does it rise? About 30 centimeters.
The Fine Print
Now for the big question: what does the fine print say? First, the ArcaBoard's battery life is only six minutes. No, that's not a joke. Adding more batteries would make the ArcaBoard unable to even lift its own weight. Then, a full charge takes six hours, although ArcaSpace will also offer a fast-charging module that reduces the wait to 35 minutes. Finally, the hoverboard costs 19,900 dollars, plus another 4,500 dollars for the module. We applaud in advance all the pioneers who decide to enter the pre-order and wait until April to receive it.
