A hoverboard. No really!

[BayGBM]

Daredevil invents Green Goblin-style hoverboard, sets world record
By Mike Moffatt

A modern-day Orville Wright has set a new world record for riding a hoverboard, flying the device more than a mile over water in Sausset-les-Pins, France.

Franky Zapata's Flyboard Air is nothing like the popular commercial contraptions that don't actually hover but simply roll on sidewalks before bursting into flame (well, sometimes).

And unlike models that trail hoses enabling them to fly via water propulsion, the Flyboard Air is propelled by air. It resembles the flying platform Norman Osborn — the "Green Goblin" — buzzed around on in "Spider-Man."

Last Saturday, Zapata, a 37-year-old French jet ski champion, flew his device 7,388 feet, shattering Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru's distance record of 905 feet. Zapata traveled at 44 mph during the feat.

Zapata's company, Zapata Racing, claims that the hoverboard can reach a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet and a top speed of 93 mph. However, the device's limited flight duration would appear to make reaching such heights academic.

The board's "Independent Propulsion Unit" is capable of keeping a pilot aloft for up to 10 minutes.

t=60

[BayGBM]

This would be so popular on the beach!  Sign me up.  Bay likey!  

[epic_alien]

he is standing on a drone.  its not flat and its not a board.

strange that it won't show the takeoff or landing. wonder why that is

[HTexan]

[Parker]

Supposedly those four motors combine for a total of 1,000 hp. But, I would think since they are four jets, that it would be 1,000 pounds of thrust.
Here is more info, and go to the comments for the discussion
http://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-hoverboard-weve-all-been-dreaming-of-1774176409

[Wiggs]

Next up, pumpkin bombs...

[el numero uno]

Daredevil invents Green Goblin-style hoverboard, sets world record
By Mike Moffatt

A modern-day Orville Wright has set a new world record for riding a hoverboard, flying the device more than a mile over water in Sausset-les-Pins, France.

Franky Zapata's Flyboard Air is nothing like the popular commercial contraptions that don't actually hover but simply roll on sidewalks before bursting into flame (well, sometimes).

And unlike models that trail hoses enabling them to fly via water propulsion, the Flyboard Air is propelled by air. It resembles the flying platform Norman Osborn — the "Green Goblin" — buzzed around on in "Spider-Man."

Last Saturday, Zapata, a 37-year-old French jet ski champion, flew his device 7,388 feet, shattering Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru's distance record of 905 feet. Zapata traveled at 44 mph during the feat.

Zapata's company, Zapata Racing, claims that the hoverboard can reach a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet and a top speed of 93 mph. However, the device's limited flight duration would appear to make reaching such heights academic.

The board's "Independent Propulsion Unit" is capable of keeping a pilot aloft for up to 10 minutes.

t=60

Impressive!

he is standing on a drone.  its not flat and its not a board.

strange that it won't show the takeoff or landing. wonder why that is

I think both videos did.

[BayGBM]

Impressive!

I think both videos did.

Not sure what videos he was watching.  Good attention spans and comprehension are so hard to come by.  

Get some help from Frog Design to refine the look, increase the range from 10 minutes to 30-60 minutes, price it under 10k and you have a winner.  I would buy it.  The liability issues are huge, but that is a whole other story.  

[da_vinci]

Now that is cool as hell. I actually can believe an ironman kind of costume can be created in a relatively close future. Imagine going down the street and some fukker jetting over you like a superhero. I would probably shit my pants..

[epic_alien]

Not sure what videos he was watching.  Good attention spans and comprehension are so hard to come by.  

Get some help from Frog Design to refine the look, increase the range from 10 minutes to 30-60 minutes, price it under 10k and you have a winner.  I would buy it.  The liability issues are huge, but that is a whole other story.  

i was wrong, it does show the takeoff and landings.

i am curious how they control the  direction of thrust and direction in which you travel in.

is someone else other than the rider controlling that remotely?

[BayGBM]

i was wrong, it does show the takeoff and landings.

i am curious how they control the  direction of thrust and direction in which you travel in.

is someone else other than the rider controlling that remotely?

There you go again.  Do you have trouble paying attention or following simple directions?  The pilot explained that he is controlling the flight. Do yourself a favor, forget about this product--or anything like it.  You are clearly not the target audience.

[epic_alien]

yes your I'm to stupid to understand how he controls it. he control it with his brain and legs


How do you keep it stabilized? Is there something helping you other than you just shifting your weight?

It’s a logic system inside the board that helps stabilize the machine. It’s extremely hard to stabilize, so yes it’s not only my balance. For example, we use like the same kind of electronics like you use on a drone to stabilize. The problem is to create the algorithms, the right algorithms, to combine the intelligence in the board and in your brain. So we spent about four months to make that work.

What are those algorithms controlling to help stabilize, is it just thrust level?

No. We adjust the top speed of the small turbines on the side, and also the inclination of the turboreactors itself. So it’s like we have six systems working together plus my brain and my legs.

[Devon97]

There you go again.  Do you have trouble paying attention or following simple directions?  The pilot explained that he is controlling the flight. Do yourself a favor, forget about this product--or anything like it.  You are clearly not the target audience.

Damn Bay! YOu're killing us foppish irresponsible heteros!

[BayGBM]

Damn Bay! YOu're killing us foppish irresponsible heteros!

What can I say?  Some people should stick to lifting weights. 

[Tapeworm]

Epic's right on, the guy is standing on a drone.  They're saying it be what it is but it ain't.  It's not a board you're going to effortlessly carry around.  It's pushing enough air to lift you which would spray enough beach sand to get you arrested (yes, if they can catch you).  

Wouldn't it be a whole lot more stable if you just sat the fuck down on it?  Only need but half of those pesky algolithmic logajammers to keep you from flipping over.  Wouldn't need any if most of the weight was under the things that provide lift, like on everything else that flies.  But a lot less gimmicky and marketable, true.  

A hoverboard is the lamest holy grail of technology evar.  As if zooming around on a board for kicks would be the principal application of something that negates gravity.  As if antigravity is going to be discovered and implemented for the sake of a toy. Give it up.  That movie was 30 years ago.  It is a stupid, stupid endeavor and I'm very, very bitter about it.

[Al Doggity]

This would be so popular on the beach!  Sign me up.  Bay likey!  

LOL just top off your jet-fuel backpack and you'll wow the entire beach for an entire 10 minutes.