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They captured the imagination the moment Michael J Fox made his getaway on one in the classic 1980s sequel Back to the Future II. Now an artist has made every teenage boy's dream come true by developing a hoverboard that floats in mid-air just like the one used classic films. Nils Guadagnin's hoverboard can only support a little weight and can only move up and down, but it is the closest yet to a real-life version of the famous prop. Mr Guadagnin now plans to develop a stronger version and to build a track to allow people to skate along in mid-air. A self-confessed 'Back to the Future' fan, he painted the hoverboard the same bright colours because he wanted to remind people of the film. 'The hoverboard is not about the technology so much, it is about how to turn a dream into reality and what happens when you try to do that,' he said. 'It's about making something futuristic happen today'. Mr Guadagnin, 25, designed the hoverboard for an exhibition called 'Back to the Future'. 'Nobody was doing anything to do with the film, so I thought I had to do something,' he said. Two electromagnets are located in the plinth onto which the hoverboard is placed. The board itself has two electromagnets inside it, and the two repel each other. A laser inside the hoverboard links the two and makes sure they remain stable enough to keep it 'afloat'. It can carry a weight up to 2kg and can only move up and down, but Mr Guadagnin said it was a 'good start'. 'Most people have said that it is really really cool and have asked if it can do more. Their first reaction is to ask if they can get on it. 'I would like to make a track with a series of magnets on it and with more strength so somebody could skate along, like Marty McFly does in the film. 'We are developing a levitation system that can handle 10kg, so I can imagine the day when we can support a human'. The hoverboad became part of film history when Marty McFly, played by Michael J Fox, used it in the second and third 'Back to the future' films. In Part two he famously skated around the central square of Hill Valley with his nemesis Biff in pursuit before sending him crashing into the town hall. In 2001 rumours began circulating that American entrepreneur Dean Kamen had created a hoverboard-style device, but it turned out to be a two-wheeled electric transporter. Mr Guadagnin splits his time between his home in Tours and Paris, and will be going to Glasgow next year to continue his studies.
The Hoverboard is a project made by Nils guadagnin, a young french artist. This work is born in 2008 for an exhibition named “Back To the future”. It is a copy of the hoverboard from the movie Back to the Future II. Integrated into the board and the plinth is an electromagnetic system which levitates the board. A laser system stabilises the object in the air. In the making of this work, this artist was thinking about different ways of presenting sculpture. In fact it’s a reflexion on the multiple possibilities of how to give a sculpture full spatial autonomy. The Hoverboard features two CLM-1+ levitation modules which are neatly integrated into to the Hoverboard.
The CLM-1+ is a kit that consists of a base (non-floating part) and a carrier (floating magnet ring). The CLM-1+ is an iteration of the CLM-1 system, they are the same except for the levitation height, CLM-1+ has 9 mm of extended levitation height, resulting in a maximum levitation height of 44 mm. The CLM-1+ levitation system is capable of carrying loads up to 1 kg. CLM-1+ main features: • Modular levitation system, suitable for a wide variety of applications • High levitation height • Robust optical sensing system • Excellent stability • Carrier plateau locks-on easily • Power efficient • Ability to carry large loads The CLM-1+ is operated by connecting the base to a supply (mains adaptor). Then putting the carrier, with its rubber side down, in the middle above the base until “lock” occurs. Then the carrier can be released. Both carrier and base contain powerful magnets, therefore Crealev advises to keep magnetic sensitive devices such as credit cards at a minimum distance of 25 mm (
Yeah neat Idea but, Not practical. I am sure that white pedestal is magnetic.
Originally posted by alaskan
We would need streets paved with magnets for this to really become reality.
I could maybe see the floor of a building being layered with magnets, but the board itself would probably end up weighing at least 50lbs if it's going to be strong enough to support a person.
The board hovering on the stand would make for great decoration though...
Two electromagnets are located in the plinth onto which the hoverboard is placed. The board itself has two electromagnets inside it, and the two repel each other. A laser inside the hoverboard links the two and makes sure they remain stable enough to keep it 'afloat'.
The board hovering on the stand would make for great decoration though...