Hoverboards latest getting-around trend

HoverboardHoverboards are becoming a popular trend of 2015.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa was recently arrested, and harshly taken down and handcuffed by cops, for riding a hoverboard at the Los Angeles International Airport.

Afterwards, Khalifa said on his Twitter account that hoverboards will be “the technology everyone will be using in the next six months.”

I have seen this hoverboard featured on a few vines here and there and I also have seen J.R. Smith, an NBA player who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, strolling on it in a video by ESPN. However, when I heard about a celebrity getting arrested for riding one at an airport, I knew had to find out more about it.

So I went online to do some research and was intrigued.

This hoverboard is actually a personal transportation device called MonoRover R2 created by MonoRover, a company that builds motorized mini transportational devices.

What confused me is that everyone was calling it a hoverboard but it mainly looks like a Segway without the handle bars.

Then, I saw a girl riding a hoverboard at Arts Festival Oklahoma at OCCC. The first thing that went through my mind was ‘Who spends $600 on this?’ (Yes, the MonoRover R2 costs about $600 and other models can cost upwards of $1,200.) But then I noticed something.

The device was so sensitive to the girl’s movements, it was like she was riding it with her mind. The device was extremely mobile and was making very sharp turns, which was cool.

That meant the girl was controlling it with very subtle movements, movements that weren’t even noticeable. This was pretty impressive and all, but come on, $600 is still way too much for my wallet. I’m pretty sure that goes for most students.

I don’t think I would ever buy the MonoRover R2, but I would like to ride one if the opportunity comes up.

Rating: C+

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