While 2015 has been dominated by so-called hoverboards – in actuality, self-balancing two-wheeled boards which don’t hover – we may have a real contender before the year is out. Private aeronautics company ArcaSpace has launched the ArcaBoard, a fan-powered platform that actually hovers about a foot off the ground, for but only for a few minutes at a time.
The ArcaBoard is powered by 36 electric powered fans which cumulatively generate 430lb of thrust, equal to about 272 horsepower, coupled with self-balancing gyroscopes for stability. You won’t be travelling much, though, as the board is difficult to propel and steer, and can only stay in the air for a maximum of 6 minutes for the average weighted user. If you’re on the heavier side however, you’ll only get 3 minutes of fun time with the enhanced thrust. While the technology itself is impressive, it’s debatable whether the board is worth the eye-watering $19,900 USD that it’s being sold for on the ArcaBoard website.
“For the first time since the bicycle, automobile or airplane, the ArcaBoard is a revolutionary breakthrough for transportation,” the website reads. “For the first time, every person will be able to fly anytime, anywhere. The world, your world, will change forever.”
Dumitru Propescu, CEO of ArcaSpace, can be seen riding the board in the following video:
“I’ve always wanted to create a commercially available product for the masses,” Propescu says in the video. “But the creation of this truly revolutionary product proves that Arca is not only able to create amazing technologies, but is actually engineering the future.”
We have mixed feelings about this hover-surface, as in all honesty, for the average consumer, it is too pricey and from the view on the video; too big and bulky. I can see what they are trying to do and with any new product, a natural progression is needed to sustain a viable product in the market, but I just don’t think this is it, but is definitely a stepping stone for the next more “consumer-friendly” version to appear on the market, whether it be from Arca Space Corporation or a competitor.
Even if you had $20,000 spare, would you buy the ArcaBoard or will you wait for the next model to hit the market?
