No flying cars, but Lexus unveils the hoverboard

MARTY McFly would be impressed. It's 2015 and the hoverboard has arrived just like the Back to the Future sequel predicted.

But, it was Lexus, not Mattel, that unveiled this incredible technology that uses magnets and liquid nitrogen.

Lexus said the hoverboard was the product of an 18-month collaboration between scientists from IFW Dresden and magnetic levitation technology firm evico GmbH.

"The Lexus hoverboard technology features two "cryostats" - reservoirs in which superconducting material is kept at minus 197 degrees through immersion in liquid nitrogen," Lexus said in a statement.

"The board is then placed above a track that contains permanent magnets."

Evico CEO Oliver de Hass said the technology enabled the hoverboard rider to carry out a variety of tricks.

"The magnetic field from the track is effectively 'frozen' into the superconductors in the board, maintaining the distance between the board and the track - essentially keeping the board hovering," he said.

"This force is strong enough to allow the rider to stand and even jump on the board."

The lucky pro skateboarder chosen to test the hoverboard, Ross McGouran, showcased the technology in a film by award-winning director Henry-Alex Rubin.

"I've spent 20 years skateboarding, but without friction it feels like I've had to learn a whole new skill, particularly in the stance and balance in order to ride the hoverboard," Mr McGouran said.

"It's a whole new experience."

It may look like a regular skate park on the surface, but, up to 200 metres of magnetic track lies under the Lexus 'hoverpark'.

Source: No flying cars, but Lexus unveils the hoverboard