Given that no real, average human is scooting to first period on a hover board, there sure are quite a few of them hovering about on the internet, from the almost-real to the shamefully (and dangerously) misnamed. But a company called Arca is looking to offer the real deal, with pre-orders up on their website.
The ArcaBoard is massive, which is exactly what is required of a device that will transport humans to the peak of laziness, but also has a shot at being a fully realized hoverboard.
The device uses 35 high-power electric ducted fans with a maximum thrust of 430 lbs. It also pairs with a smartphone app to let you steer via a built-in stabilization system, or you can turn that off and steer with your body.
Arca Space Corporation has experience working on stratospheric rockets and balloons with the European Space Agency and the Romanian government, and has since developed other flying objects like drones, according to GizMag. In other words, these people are total aerospace geeks.
Which explains why nobody is over-selling the ArcaBoard, by any means. The specs for this thing are weak, at best, with a top speed of 12.5 mph and a battery life of six minutes for a lighter rider. Folks who weigh more than 240lbs will only get about three minutes cruising.
That said, Arca promises that the ArcaBoard can hover up to a foot over any surface, from concrete to water to sand.
The ArcaBoard is about the size of a first-generation flatscreen TV, and requires two people to carry it, but on the bright side, it only takes 35 minutes to charge it.
Of course, with the various stories around the ArcaBoard, I’ve yet to find one where someone has actually tested out the device. But if you want to hop in line for that, the pre-order page can be found right here with a price of $19,900.
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