Hoverboards Are Now a Reality

Originally published by Anderson Law Firm's Injury Blog.

Remember when you used to see science-fiction movies where the main character could pull out his hoverboard and escape to safety? While this was a wild idea in the 1980s, hover boards may be something of the future – a very, very near future, to be exact.

A French Innovator’s Design

The unlike previous prototypes and designs of previous hoverboards, French inventor Franky Zapata, founder of the company that created the “Flyboard Air”, has created a hoverboard that does not require a connection to water or another stationary-linked fuel source. In other words, you can now fly a hoverboard wirelessly. The only object you would have wired would be the control that is connected to the hoverboard. Other than that, you could fly high and low, left and right, without having to be connected to a pipe or tube (as is the case with water-powered hoverboards).

An Interested Market

Not only has Zapata sparked the interest of businesses who market their products to the general product; the technology company now has military companies interested in research & development for the new innovation. In addition, it isn’t just any military companies – some companies have connections to the Department of Defense, making the excitement ever greater.

However, not everybody seems to be as excited for the new hoverboards. French authorities have restricted the use of Zapata’s hoverboards in France, citing the failure to follow safety regulations, flight restrictions, and security clearances to fly. This in turn has caused a debate on whether or not French authorities were right on essentially banning the product. In just three days, a petition in support of Zapata has generated over 15,000 signatures. Despite the initial restriction, French officials have noted that the company still has an opportunity to gain approval of flying.

When Will Hoverboards Be Available to Purchase?

Hoverboards, like many new technological innovations, take time and money to be approved to the general public. This is due to two reasons. First, companies developing the hoverboards must completely be sure that their product is safe and will not cause and harm. This is done through consistent product testing, tweaks, re-designs, and more. Each change made on the product must be approved through a series of departments within the company, which can take several months to do.

The second reason why hoverboards might not be readily available is due to regulations. Regulations are designed to ensure that a product has been thoroughly tested and approved by a regulatory agency. In the United States, what seems like an unnecessary certification stage is actually something that is very important. Many product-related accidents and injuries can be completely avoided if it is caught when the product is being tested and reviewed, and necessary changes can be made to ensure that the public is safe from a dangerous product. For this reason, if you have waited for a very long time for a hoverboard to be a reality, it may be worth the extra wait for it to be approved – it may save you an unwanted trip to the hospital.

Curated by Texas Bar Today. Follow us on Twitter @texasbartoday.

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