(Image courtesy of ARCA Space Corporation)
Mankind’s mission to do right by Marty McFly continues.
New Mexico-based ARCA Space Corporation boasts the “first revolutionary breakthrough in motion since the bicycle, automobile, and airplane” with its ArcaBoard, a 272 horsepower and 203,000 watt electric-powered hoverboard.
Rather than utilize magnetic levitation (or other parlor tricks), the 180 pound board floats via 36 Electric Ducted Fans (EDF) that generate 430 pounds of downward thrust—enough to carry anyone under 243 pounds. In addition to using their bodies, riders can utilize their phones for control and navigation. The vehicle flies up to one foot off the ground and can reach a maximum speed of 12.5 mph. The fans, along with the controllers and batteries, occupy 90 percent of the board’s interior space, and heat is dissipated using a high performance cooling system.
Truth be told, the thing looks like a giant, floating Lego.
“Ride across any terrain or water with the vehicle that was virtually impossible, until today,” ARCA’s website states.
Sure, in six minute increments. (Shockingly, three dozen fans on full blast require a heck of a lot of power.)
Following a ride that’s shorter than the time it takes me to get out of bed in the mornings, users will have to wait six hours for the board to recharge. For an extra $4,500, however, the company has built an ArcaDock accessory that reduces charge time to 35 minutes. (Considering that the board itself is just shy of $20,000, the folks who can afford it are already sparing no expense…)
Hey, at least this one seems safer than other boards currently on the market…
Filed Under: M2M (machine to machine)