On Kickstarter, a new project aims to launch a real hoverboard not unlike the one Marty McFly rides in Back to the Future 2.

Unlike a number of failed attempts at levitating skateboards, the Hendo Over is said to be real and already operational. For a pledge of US$10,000 (RM32,808), funders can reserve one of the first hoverboards, which are due to ship in fall 2015.

For now, the latest Hendo Over prototype (the 18th so far) hardly resembles the hoverboard in the movie. But the final model is expected to come a little closer.

Using its four motors, the Hendo Over creates a magnetic field to generate lift and levitate just above the ground. However, the technique only works on a surface covered with metal sheets, so riders won’t be zipping through the streets like Michael J. Fox’s character anytime soon.

Moreover, the contraption is also noisy and somewhat unwieldy in its present state.

The final Hendo Over is expected to ship from October 2015, and the first 10 models, priced at US$10,000 (RM32,808) each, have already been reserved.

For those who can’t afford the real thing, there is also the option of reserving a motor-less replica (for a US$449/RM1,473 pledge) or booking a five-minute test session on the board (US$100/RM328). — AFP/Relaxnews 2014