In the later 20th century when science fiction movies like Back to the Future grabbed the attention of the world and made everyone super excited about the future, they also increased our expectations of what modern technology would bring.
We may not have roads of hovering cars and wear space-like jumpsuits as clothes, but we do have one cool thing - a working hoverboard.
Canadian-based engineer Catalin Alexandru Duru invented his own hoverboard, which is essentially a modern drone in the shape of a board that can support the weight of a human and hover over surfaces.
The result? - A working hoverboard capable of being controlled by your feet as you stand on it.
Duru did one more number with his awesome hoverboard; he broke a world record. As documented by Guinness World Records, he traveled the world's farthest distance on a hoverboard, which was measured at 275.9 meters (905 ft 2 in).
"The first real-life hoverboard. The machine was built and designed by me, Catalin Alexandru Duru. I am the first man to create and fly a working prototype," says Duru. "I will showcase that stable flight can be achieved with a machine one can stand on and control with their feet, just like in the movie ‘Back to the Future Part II.' In our case, the machine is propeller-based."
For safety reasons, the hoverboard was taken over Lake Ouareau, where if he fell off and plummeted 15 feet, he wouldn't sustain any severe injuries. Despite the safety concerns, Duru notes that the hoverboard can actually be used anywhere, whether it's over land or water.
The full video from Guinness World Records can be watched below:
The current hoverboard is a prototype utilizing an emerging drone propeller technology, unlike the Back to the Future version, which is propeller-less. Nonetheless, we have a man hovering in mid-air, on a board, without any ropes. The proof of concept demonstrates that some time in the future, similar hoverboards may appear in a sports store near you.
Now if only we could get a working time machine...
Source: Guinness World Records
