Back to the Future fans will be happy to hear that Hendo Hover has created a prototype for a real-life hoverboard.
A Kickstarter campaign has been started for the device, which the California startup says comes with a battery that lasts for seven minutes, according to The Telegraph. The current version can levitate one inch off the ground, but it will only work if used above conductive surfaces.
A demonstration video shows the HENDO hoverboard having the ability to float above a copper surface and half-pipe skateboard ramp coated in a thin sheet of the same metal.
Hendo said the board has its power because of its four disc-shaped hover engines that create a magnetic field that pushes against itself to lift the board in the air, The Independent reported.
"While our hoverboard is primarily intended to be self-propelled, the actions which stabilize it can also be used to drive it forward by altering the project force on the surface below," the company said.
The startup believes the technology in the hoverboard could be used for separating buildings from the ground during earthquakes and other disasters.
The technology could also be used in factories, warehouses and other places where people need to levitate heavy objects, The Telegraph reported.
The goal for Hendo is to raise $250,000 to put the "finishing touches" on the $10,000 hoverboard. A $5 pledge will earn backers a mention on Hendo's social media accounts, and a $100 pledge will get backers a ride on the hoverboard for five minutes. The company currently only has 10 hoverboards available in the campaign.
