Arx Pax, a tech company based out of Los Gatos, California, has announced the availability of its HE3.0 hover engines, offered as a pair for $9,999. Described as providing “omnidirectional frictionless movement,” the engines can be used for levitation, propulsion, guidance, and braking, all within a single system. In addition to the obvious applications (transportation, entertainment), Arx Pax says the technology could also be used for industrial automation (moving heavy objects), and infrastructure protection in the event of a natural disaster (seismic isolation in an earthquake, elevation during a flood, etc.).

You might remember Arx Pax for its Hendo hoverboard, a self-levitating platform that was the first real showcase of the company’s Magnetic Field Architecture (MFA) technology.

“This is the most efficient way to separate an object from the earth,” Greg Henderson, CEO and co-founder of Arx Pax, told Continue reading for the full story.. “When you have something that actually hovers, it sells itself.”

In addition to the HE3.0 product, Arx Pax is also selling a more accessible version of the tech called the MFA bundle, which includes four downsized HE400 hover engines, four mounting and actuation brackets, four servos, and a system controller. Designed for builders seeking to create scale models of larger hover systems, the MFA bundle is priced at $1,589.

Of course, one of the primary applications for the Arx Pax engine technology is the Hyperloop, a high-speed tube-based transportation system currently in development by several private organizations. SpaceX, the California-based aerospace company headed by Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk, is promoting this development by hosting an open competition to design and build a Hyperloop pod, and according to Arx Pax, several of the competitors have purchased the hover technology for use in Hyperloop pod development.

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If you’re a fan of next-generation propulsion systems, the availability of the HE3.0 is very exciting news indeed. It could very well be part of the solution to outdated modes of transport, offering reliable travel across the country at absurdly high speeds.

According to Arx Pax, the HE3.0 was developed from the same MFA tech powering the Hendo hoverboard (that is, one of the few hoverboards that actually, you know, hovers). It works by creating a “primary magnetic field” that electrifies a conductive surface. This surface in turn generates a secondary magnetic field that repels the first, creating lift in the process.

Each HE3.0 engine can levitate up to 60 kg (132 pounds), and measures in at 22 cm (8.7 inches) in diameter.

You can buy both the HE3.0 engine pair and the MFA bundle here.

Once this tech gains momentum, I can’t help but wonder when we’ll see levitating car racing and a hoverboard competition in the X Games.

“Getting our technology in the hands of brilliant people worldwide has been our top priority,” Henderson said in a press release. “There are huge opportunities that lie ahead in a variety of verticals where we are pushing boundaries and defying gravity in the process. I know that with many minds at work thinking of ways to apply our hover technology to real-world challenges, we’ll be able to effect positive change.”

So – what do you want to levitate?