The_Lexus_Hoverboard_Achieving_the_impossible

LEXUS HOVERBOARD LEXUS HOVERBOARD THE STORY We at Lexus always try to achieve the impossible. That is the attitude we apply to everything, with a constant desire to do what has never been done before. It's like old stories or fairy tales, the flying carpet. And this is something close to the flying carpet. CHAPTER ONE INITIAL TESTING TEXAS INITIAL TESTING DAY 30 FIRST LEVITATION SUCCESS DAY 48 MORE COMPACT DESIGN DAY 55 WEIGHT TEST DAY 65 WEIGHT TEST FAILS DAY 74 BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD Making a hoverboard isn't a straightforward process. We have had quite few ups and downs because it’s normal when you are trying to do something truly innovative. CHAPTER TWO TESTING CONTINUES The system does not need electricity at all. DRESDEN TESTING CONTINUES We just use the superconducting material, we use the permanent magnet and we use the liquid nitrogen to cool down the superconductor. You just have to keep it cold to have a long hovering effect. The magnetic track has a certain magnetic field configuration. And this configuration is now also present in the superconductor. And when they are cooled down, then this field configuration is frozen. Then the superconductor stays in this position. It’s an art of material science. DAY 180 BOARD DEVELOPMENT DAY 226 SEARCH FOR HOVERBOARD RIDER BEGINS When I came in, I think it wasn't going in the direction everyone wanted it to go. But when I've seen it, I was well excited about it. I was like I wanna have a go. Let’s see what it is capable of. Even within a week we progressed loads. We've gone from just going 5 meters in a straight line to going around the corner as fast as we could. And then we started setting up the jump and making it higher, making the gap bigger We progressed quick, really quick. Some of the design elements like the spindle grille DAY 291 DESIGNING THE FINAL BOARD and also the bamboo deck of the board, we’re almost exactly replicating what’s inside the Lexus car. There’s the science part of it, and then there’s the design and the beautiful part of it where we get to make it look amazing. CHAPTER THREE FINAL TESTING BARCELONA FINAL TESTING DAY 334 The feeling of literally no friction, and floating on air is hard to describe what that really feels like. It's almost kind of like science in yourself and then you start to break it down. It starts to become less scary, less daunting, more fun. DAY 372 I started skating when I was about 7 or 8. It literally feels like I’m starting all over again from the beginning. Now I’m really like, I was born again, and here’s a skateboard – learn it. DAY 373 COVERING THE TRACK DAY 394 HOVERPARK FINISHED Superconductivity is a fascinating phenomenon. It's spectacular, but it's complicated. If we would have known at the beginning what would result at the end we probably would have said, “No, it’s impossible.” So you have to have dreams. Maybe they will not come true, but it’s the direction you work. As our legendary Takumi craftsman say, "the difficult takes time the impossible just takes a little longer"