A few month ago an mysterious teaser clip circulated on Internet about a real life hoverboard developed by Japanese car brand LEXUS (the luxury brand in the Toyota group family). Finally the a video of the hoverboard in action was released and even if it’s only a prototype the result is pretty stunning!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwSwZ2Y0Ops
The Technology Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn5kQCg7yyo
The hoverboard is constructed from an insulated core, containing HTSLs (high temperature superconducting blocks). These are housed in cryostats – reservoirs of liquid nitrogen that cool the superconductors to -197°C. The board is then placed above a track containing permanent magnets. When the board is cooled to its operating temperature the track’s magnetic flux lines are ‘pinned’ into place, maintaining the hover height of the board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_BYvUlDviM
The prototype still relies on a special track of magnets to function and may not be as easy to handle as the one used in the movie Back to the Future, but we won’t give up hope this will one day become a real option for transportation.