It looked like the opening sequence of the latest superhero franchise out of Hollywood as a figure appeared silhouetted against the famous backdrop of Times Square’s billboards, 6 or 7 metres above the ground. In fact, it was a demonstration of the latest hoverboard technology developed by a young Californian engineer, 28-year-old Hunter Kowald.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_2iO2CSEZE
Kowald is the founder of the start-up Skysurfer Hoverboard Aircraft and claims to have designed and built “the world’s most efficient and powerful personal hoverboard aircraft”.
The Skysurfer, which consists of a platform roughly the size of a snowboard powered by what Mr Kowald describes as “essentially two drones”.
The hoverboard certainly looks the part, with its futuristic sleek design and array of small propellers. Skysurfer riders, in this case Mr Kowald himself was demonstrating his invention, which is controlled by a remote control held in one hand. The direction of travel, much like snowboard, is determined by the rider shifting their weight to lean in a particular direction.
The hoverboard can lift up to 500lb (227 kg) and has been designed to allow a rider to land safely even if up to two motors fail or one of the power systems catches fire. The latter is a genuine risk because of the amount of heat the aircraft generates. It is fireproofed to allow for enough time for a safe landing if things do go wrong.
Mr Kowald clearly has as good an instinct for PR as he does sci-fi engineering. YouTube videos of his appearance over Times Square and another in which he drops out of the sky into the midst of a garden party, to the astonishment of the other guests who presumably arrived through more traditional modes of transport, have gone viral in recent months.
One observer reflected on witnessing a Skysurfer demonstration with “this is what I pictured the year 2021 to look like when I was a kid”.
Skysurfer Hoverboard Aircraft is not the only start-up working on hoverboard technology. Another American company, OmniHoverboards, hopes to begin selling its hoverboards commercially by the end of 2021.
Hoverboards are also not the only human flying technology most of us would associate with sci-fi films eagerly watched as youngsters. Gravity Industries is a UK-based start-up founded by 41-year-old oil trader-turned inventor Richard Browning which develops jet suits. They can even be bought already if you have a little over £300,000 to spare.
Mr Browning is also his start-up’s ‘chief test pilot’ and has completed some eye-catching flights including travelling from the UK mainland over the 1.3km wide Solent to the Isle of Wight. Reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h the flight took Mr Browning just 75 seconds.