The hoverboard originated from the movie Back to the Future II. As a futuristic version of the skateboard, the hoverboard floats eerily a few inches above the ground, silently, and without any apparent means of levitation.

Creating a technology to emulate these characteristics has proven to be a far greater challenge than we originally perceived. Yet, from the very beginning, we knew there were only a few ways a hoverboard could possibly work. We described them as: (1) Electrostatic Repulsion - an electric charge on the bottom of the board repels a like charge on the surface.
(2) Lenz's Law - a magnetic field on the board repels an induced field on the surface.
(3) Geomagnetic levitation - a super strong magnetic field pushes against the Earth's magnetic field (the inspiration behind the Magnecraft)
(4) Anti-gravity - finding a way to cancel or mask the force of gravity (we decided to leave this one alone).
(5) Forcefield Air-cushion Technology (FAT) - using forces rather than a physical bottle to contain a pressurized air cushion underneath the board.
(6) Plasmagnetic Technology - Magnetic levitation over a magnetically-charged plasma. In our opinion, the most feasible hoverboard concept yet.

How does Plasmagnetic Technology work?

Plasmagnetic Technology works similar to a maglev system called Inductrac only it doesn't require a track. Instead, the vehicle hovers over a magnetically-charged plasma created by UV lasers and an alternating magnetic field. More about Plasmagnetic Technology here.

Is there a prototype yet?

Almost! If our current theory proves correct, our first product may be a demonstrational toy.

When can a product be expected?

First we need to produce a proof of concept. Then we'll be able to obtain the funding needed to build a prototype. Future products will include ridable and self-propelled boards but no production dates are known at this time.

What is the power source?

The act of hovering in a fixed position actually requires very little energy. In theory, since energy = force x distance x time, and the change in distance is zero, no energy is required to maintain an object at a fixed height. However, since we're dealing with gravity, some amount of energy is needed to generate a force to cancel gravity. In some cases, that energy can be derived entirely from a permanent magnet. How much will a board cost?

The only exotic material required in our hoverboard prototype is water-based ferrofluid. Oil-based ferrofluid is significantly cheaper, but leaves an oily residue and is quite a bit harder to clean up. Another fairly expensive component required is a neodymium magnet, the most powerful rare-earth magnet known to exist. The more weight a hoverboard is designed to lift, the more ferrofluid and neodymium magnets are required. Our hoverboard prototype kit contains enough to lift up to 10 pounds and is reasonably priced at $200.

What are other applications for FAT?

Forcefield Air-cushion Technology could be applied to cars as well as hoverboards. But just imagine what would happen to the automobile industry if suddenly cars no longer needed tires, oil, or gasoline? Nevermind the fact that these cars would have a virtually unlimited lifetime. Oh no! Who are those suits approaching my door?