The French Built The Superconducting Hoverboard 4 Years Before Lexus

Superconducting Hoverboard

The internet only just got over Lexus’ real working hover board, but as it turns out, a team of researchers from the University of Paris Diderot already built one, over 4 years ago (machine translation)!

Using the same principles as the hover board Lexus build, the researchers built a very expensive neodymium magnet track to test the board on. Only difference here is that they didn’t hide the magnets. The hover board itself was machined out of wood, and houses a large sealed metal tray which contains the superconducting bricks.

Pour in some liquid nitrogen through the funnel, and you’re ready to witness some of the quantum properties of superconductors! The board floats a few centimeters above the magnetic rails, and in their tests was able to lift people over 100 kg in weight (hint for most Americans… there are 2.2 pounds to one kilogram).

The funny thing is, the French researchers make no mention of BTTF, and instead, compare its likeness to the flying carpet from Arabian Nights… Seems like a bit of a stretch to us.

[Thanks for the tip Pierre!]

27 thoughts on “The French Built The Superconducting Hoverboard 4 Years Before Lexus

    1. Since when was pyrolytic graphite considered a superconductor? Regardless, these impractical, hyped up demonstrations of a now-common scientific principle is starting to get old.

      1. Pyrolitic graphite is much different than graphite. It is essentially graphene stacked, meaning when super cooled it superconducts. You can also float pyrolitic graphite on an array of four neodymium magnets at room temperature as its conductance is high enough to lock it in the magnetic field.

        CaC6 is the best evidence so far for a room temp superconductor it is pyrolitic graphite intercalated with Ca+ ions.

    1. You mean like a hovercraft ironing board? Been done, lots. Pretty crappy “hoverboard” but they do go over land and water. And have propulsion, so you don’t end up stuck in the ornamental lake.

      1. Except the general consensus seems to be that everyone is expecting a hover board that can hover over any service… much like most recent companies have suggested in their advertising. So can they hover? Of course! Can they hover over anything except pre-constructed platforms/bases? NO

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