Home / Technology / Chinese Inventor Builds Real-Life Hoverboard!
Chinese Inventor Builds Real-Life Hoverboard!
1 Nov
Summary
- A 26-year-old Chinese tech enthusiast built a functional hoverboard.
- He tested the hoverboard over mountains, rivers, and city streets.
- The inventor previously survived a dangerous jetpack jump and a hot-air balloon stunt.
Song Xingyu, a 26-year-old from Enshi, Hubei province, has successfully developed and tested a real-life hoverboard, bringing a science-fiction concept to fruition. After approximately two months of dedicated work, he demonstrated the device's capability by flying it over mountains, the Yangtze River, and through city streets.
Song's journey began with humble origins, leaving school at 14 to work in his father's lumberyard. Inspired by aviation programs, he collected scrap materials to build model planes and received online donations. In June 2022, he transformed an abandoned shed into a laboratory, securing loans for his ambitious projects.
His path was fraught with challenges, including a significant scam that left him with 2.4 million yuan in debt. However, technology company Insta360 later provided crucial funding of 1.8 million yuan. Song has undertaken several high-risk experiments, such as attempting to launch a remote-controlled aircraft to the upper atmosphere in May 2024 and a dangerous jump from a helicopter at 5,000 meters using a homemade jet-powered device.
Despite setbacks, including his main parachute failing during the helicopter jump, Song continued innovating. He has previously used a hot-air balloon to lift a furnished living room into the sky and experimented with a glider inspired by the Green Goblin. His current hoverboard, powered by an electric propulsion system and monitored by AI, is designed to carry four adults, and he underwent extensive training to operate it safely.
