I love that it's not like the future of transport or anything it's just a guy who likes making hovercraft
@@mdrzn They're making advancements in drone propellors that are much quieter, I wonder if they could use that tech here too. Probably could help with the sound if this guy got the funding he deserved and got some higher end equipment.
@@yetanotherdan Oh definitely. He's just using commercial-grade fans that are meant to be encased in computers and running at much lower RPMs, so the whirring at high speeds doesn't matter so much (and is more a telltale sign you need to cool down your PC) along with a leaf blower engine. If he could source those whisper-quiet rotors from that one drone video Tom did awhile back, then they'd be way quieter, no doubt.
Cool as hell that we live in a time where a dude can make hovercraft for shits and giggles
I absolutely love that the story of how this guy became a hobbyist hovercraft builder begins with "I found leaf blowers being sold really cheap"
Based on aesthetics alone, it's an absolutely stunning invention. It looks like he dipped the craft in a bubble solution and is just riding them above the ground before they pop.
@@mal2ksc the transparent material are there mostly for looks, he can go and find sturdier ones easily.
The fact that he didn't understand why it was so popular makes me 100% believe he'll have some success at a shoe based hovercraft
I’m an idiot so why are hovercrafts so popular? Like is it from a specific movie or is it’s just in general sci-fi has it? Personally hover crafts never really interested me unless they eventually gain like a few feet of distance of clearance but that seems so far away.
@@skyluke9476 I think it's the scifi idea of floating. I do agree it's generally not that practical, but that doesn't really affect popularity
The fact that he just walks out of the room and leaves Tom spinning around on the court is hilarious. I can just imagine him looking over at him doing 360s and thinking “ah, he’ll work it out” lmao
Surprised they got permission to use that gym. Those thin little wheels are not good for the flooring in there.
@@davidmcgill1000 If kept clean (i.e. not rolled around outside), they actually won't damage the floor at all. It's the bits of gravel and sand that get embedded in the wheels, and the plastic getting chewed up by rough surfaces, that make them harmful for polished wood floors.
Also, the wheels don't spend much time rolling around.
From what I know of Japanese culture it's not uncommon for people to just leave without saying anything. Dude probably figured that Tom couldn't do too much damage to the craft either and saw that he was trying to be careful.
"it surprisingly works!"
Inventors being surprised by themselves is always amazing
@@pseudotasuki when it does something you didn't intend it's even more exciting. Sometimes dangerous, but exciting.
just goes to show that trying to make something is the most important part of the process
"My local producer in Japan." I sometimes forget that there's a whole team of people behind this series. Wish we could learn about them, their role, and how it all works together to create what we see.
I'd watch that in a heartbeat, as well as any video they make in the writing room as they come up with ideas for videos
This guy is the definition of “doing it for the bants”. He’s not here for viral fame, he just wants to make these contraptions because “I think it would be fun!” 😂😂😂
And he was baffled that other people were interested! Instantly likeable guy.
It honestly made me so happy watching him explain his process, and seeing how he just genuinely enjoys this as a hobby. Great video as always!
He was so Japanese! I would love to meet him. I also really enjoyed his enthusiasm.
Seeing an inventor who isn't doing it for venture capital investment, not for likes on social media, but just because he thinks his ideas will be "fun" to work on is really great. I'm glad to see someone who enjoys what they do purely for the experience of doing it.
I mean, that is most "inventors" frankly. The idea of a "venture capitalist inventor" has kind of disappeared frankly. Also because if you actually want to "invent" something new and innovative that you can sell, you very likely need millions in funding.
The world of invention being something anyone with a basic understanding of physics could try and compete in is long gone, so all the you have left is frankly left is hobby inventions.
That's actually most inventors, but because it's not for profit or likes you won't see those as often.
Mr. Ito made a vehicle that not only moves, but LEVITATES an adult human, using six off-the-shelf (by the looks of it) 70mm EDF units. As a RC aircraft hobbyist, this fills me with glee. The inventor being a super chill dude and the device itself looking amazing are nice bonuses too!
This makes me wonder if a hovercraft could break the world record for self-powered human flight. The last record holder I read about was a bike contraption with HUGE rotor blades that a very fit person barely kept afloat for a few minutes...
@@Merrsharr That was fully self powered, the guy was literally pedaling to power the blades. This has an extremely dense lithium battery attached to it, you could never generate the thrust necessary for lift with just your legs like the contraption your thinking of
@@MrKyle700 I'm aware that this one is battery powered, but the energy requirements should be less for this than for a quadcopter, therefore I don't see why it shouldn't be possible to pedal-power an air compressor instead.
2:18 Now there's a principle to live by; "if someone wants to try and make a hovercraft too, it's definitely possible". I mean, I've never thought about making a hovercraft, but now I know it's possible ...
Bought a leaf blower, didn't know what to do with it, builds a hovercraft.. 100% Approved :D
I know the saying is that necessity is the mother of invention, but “well now what am I going to do with that?” is probably it’s father.
"how do I use this thing?"
*Points at ground*
"This creates a lot of thrist ayy--
😮💡
Tom is going for platinum in Japan
Don't know if that'll happen, considering this is his last video in Japan
@@mozarella_cheese i think you get a platinum award, when you get all achievements in a video game on playstation
How did the skirt material not get talked about at all. I feel like that is a big reason why people have found this so interesting - the skirt material makes it look like it’s floating on top of bubbles! It’s really interesting looking.
Does anyone know what it is? I'm guessing he's repurposed some commercial product.
@@phildxyz I'm thinking shower curtians, but I wonder how he seamed and sealed them?
This is my biggest question, what did he use? Because it seriously looks like large soap bubbles and is simply amazing to watch!
This looks like a thin kind of soft PVC film, the same matieral, inflatable pool toys are made of.
I also wonder, what commercial product he used to build that, because you absolutely cannot weld the PVC material with simple tools. It looks to perfect to have been glued to that shape.
That last one is stable because of the bags he uses. They're wide enough, and skirting just along the ground, that they provide lateral support. You can see that the second he turns them off, he falls over. That said, those bags are a really neat idea: getting the entire hovercraft to change height significantly when you turn it on so a human can comfortably ride, and also comfortably mount/dismount.
I dunno why, but grown men playing around with stuff, inventing things "just because" and getting pleasure out of it - plus seeing someone genuinely passionate about what they're doing explain it just brings me _so much_ happiness and joy!! I will never get tired of seeing adults indulging their inner child and inner creativity.
That's what life is supposed to be about. Don't lose that spark just because you grew up.
@@cognizantbow2275 wrong place for that conversation. just let this group enjoy watching people be happy. stuff about gun laws is important to discuss, but there's a time and a place and this is not it.
3:05 The fact that it has these little roll-a-desk wheels and yet it feels even _more_ like a majestic aircraft taking off because of them
Yes! The whole frame just looks like it came off a desk, and from what Hideyasu Ito said it probably did!
They're not heavy-duty, so it proves that the takeoff and landing is consistently gentle.
I love how understated Hideyasu Ito is. No excited gesturing. No big shows of emotion. Just calmly explaining how he knew that building a 2 "wheel" version would probably be unstable, but he did it anyway to see what it would be like!
I love the "I don't know why it was so popular. For me it's just normal" attitude. So humble, laid back. This is the internet, guy, you post a working homemade hovercraft then the tweet is going to *take off*
My favourite Tom Scott videos are the ones where we get to hear his genuine laughter of joy at what he's doing
I absolutely love how this person simply enjoys his hobby and keeps making things because he finds them amusing
You could almost be talking about Tom there (except it's no longer just a hobby).
This is amazing! I really appreciate people like Mr. Ito. The entire mentality of "Oh, I thought this was a cool notion, so I worked on it," is so fundamental to human progress. Thank you for sharing!
If we had Universal Basic Income then a lot more people would be doing this.
@@xKumata really? so if you didn't have to work to survive you'd just do nothing all day every day?
@@adora_was_taken What makes you thing that people won't do anything with a UBI system?. People will finally be able to work on personal projects that they are passionate about without having to worry for the money.
He tried so hard to speak English as much as he could. What a legend!
I love Tom's look of worry when the inventor puts on ear protection and starts it up without Tom having any.
Love how brilliant and humble the Japanese inventor is -- he seems like a person who just simply enjoys the sheer fun and challenge of inventing! Great stuff!
you really have to hand it to him like he really went "Yea I saw some dude selling some cheap leaf blowers so I decided to make my life about perfecting these tiny hovercrafts idk"
For Tom Scott, it was the greatest day of his hovercraft life, but for that guy, it was simply a Tuesday.
"...everyone found it interesting, but for me it's just part of my everyday life"
you'll be surprised what you can learn from the unassuming everyday person this guy is a legend using his time here on earth how he wants to. I respect it
"I found leaf blowers really cheap"
I love how such amazing stories start as simply as that
They're a really common way to make one for like a science fair project. I had a classmate growing that used them for a simple bumper boat style hovercraft.
That two-bagged one is definitely compelling! I love that he didn’t try to hide where he got the inspiration from (a lot of guys would say “I realised x”) and encouraged others to try with whatever they have access to!
It's a very deep-rooted element of the capitalist mindset: if you can claim ownership of the ideas, innovations or applications behind your product, you're boosting your brand's, your product's and your own 'personal' value all at once. Doesn't matter if that claim is false, or worse yet, if you can strongarm your way into making it legally true - at the expense of whoever or whatever gets in the way.
Thank goodness those honest, encouraging and cooperative mindsets like Mr. Ito's still stand strong and proliferate, it's that kind of thinking that truly brings the world forward.
That dude is so chill, thanks for showing it to the world/community
I love that he genuinely has a passion for hovercrafts. It is great to see
The secret to rationalizing the 'push left to go right/right to go left' button layout is to realize that it's a machine meant to constantly move. You hold both buttons down (to go forward) and release in the direction you want to turn.
Also it's using bicycle handle bars, where you would physically push left to go right when steering.
I admire Hideyasu's ingenuity and persistence, and wish hime every success with this and future projects. As for Tom gently wafting across the screen on a homemade hovercraft - priceless!
This guy has fenomenal vibes. Almost like a toy maker how he talks about his inventions.
I would have loved if a guy like this got in touch with a guy like Colin Furze. What kind of insane contraption would that bring?
@@sirBrouwer Knowing Colin Furze, it'd just be more hovercrafts.
@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 he already has done that. So Colin would make one more insane.
really humble guy, making something very extraordinare and saying "I dont know why there are so many reactions about it, its just me building something fun"
People like Hideyasu Ito are rare. What a joy to watch this! The years and years of love and craftsmanship that went into this are clear.
Tom smiling and laughing like a kid was incredibly precious :D
Love to see Tom have so much fun making videos and experiencing amazing and unique things!
Tom Scott if one of those few people who can start a sentence with "of all the hovercrafts I've driven..."
Tom actually using the language dubbing feature is amazing! Not everyone will use it, but I’m so glad Tom does things like this!
He's so awesome for it. I love the inclusivity towards his audience. Doesn't matter how, he just wants things to be understood and communicated.
@@theDaNi0 If you pop the video settings open, there are two available audio tracks, one of which is an English dub for the Japanese language spoken parts - see midway down the description
This takes me back to sixth grade when I made hovercraft from my family’s vacuum cleaner. They are surprisingly simple. All you need is some plywood, a shower curtain and a leaf blower (or in my case a vacuum).
I love this design. Theres no reason for the bags to be that tall and clear, but it just makes it that much cooler.
I'd give decent odds that doing it that way was on the cheaper end of the viable options, personally.
@@laurencefraser sure; but the Japanese minimalist/only the essential style of engineering and product design is charming and takes a lot of work.
Saying that essentially he spends a lot of time to find the perfect part in order to avoid spending a lot of time building it is a compliment.
The use of inner support rings to suspend the surface of the inflated portions uniformly is hella novel. Especially since I can definitely see the reinforcing material at the top of each ring. The guy's right, this is very doable to recreate by people who take the time to learn the fundamentals of what makes a hovercraft work, and how easily that can be replicated with enough ingenuity and imagination.
I've used a large trash bag for a curtain before, and even made a reinforced skirt model with hard points at the bottom of a main structure, but just using wire and a supporting ring kept at tension is an incredible idea I haven't considered.
Do you know what material the skirt is? It seems like it would need to be really strong
"I think it would be fun" is the best reason to do something like this. I do hope he continues for a long, long time!
I love how humble this dude is. He just has a fun hobby and wants to share it with the world, its so pure.
4:58 The sound it makes when powering off is so satisfying
"I appreciate that he trusts me like that, but i'm not sure he should"
another iconic tom scott quote
These kinds of just-for-fun inventors are always so brilliant and so freaking cool. This guy really just saw a sale and started cranking out sci-fi tech, he's my hero
I like the fact that tom was eager to listen and let the guy demonstrate before riding it, many youtubers act like they own the place in situations like this
Hideyasu Ito knew he could trust Tom to safely operate the hovercraft after seeing Tom's jetpack skills.
I simply adore the way the airframes look like repurposed office furniture. This makes my Maker's heart sing with glee!
When I think about a futuristic utopia, I *definitely* want the four-bubble hovercraft to be a part of it
This makes me feel so nostalgic for being a kid, throwing together different hovercraft designs in the garage with spare parts and leftover leafblowers and then crashing them gloriously minutes after building them
Never thought I'd see a home inventor do the Akira bike slide on a handmade hovercraft, but today's the day. Thank you, Tom.
He is so very blessed to be able to do this, like doing this, have access to equipment/parts, and be in a safe environment etc.
The cliffhanger at the end is just amazing, and I am rooting for Hideyasu to turn his visions into reality!
It's got to be nice doing a marathon trip around Japan to film videos because the public transit works so well. If all you need is your camera gear and your change of clothes, you can easily traverse the whole country with two people and backpacks (and obviously the budget for train fare and hotels)
@@HweolRidda Tom has referred repeatedly to his local producer and camera operator in the singular, so that would be the one other person. He pulls a big crew out for some of the other stuff but I think on this one it was just the two of them.
Why did the inventor give the hovercraft a promotion?
Because it works tirelessly.
Doesn't work in the UK as tyrelessly isn't a word. Then again very few Brits bother to use British spelling for tyre nowadays.
Seeing stuff like this from both big engineering companies and local inventors around the world is amazing. Thanks for helping us explore Tom!
The common desk/chair casters under the frame are just the >chef's kiss< of DIY design. Fantastic.
Loved how it seems like he is just doing this for no other reason than he can. No mention of trying to revolutionise how we move, it's just because it is fun!
This guys energy is so lovely, the pure joy of what he's making and getting to show someone else interested is heartwarming 💜
The gentleman is brilliant and Japan should be proud of him.
Also that shot of Tom on the hovercraft going from left to right at a leisurely pace was fantastic!
Right, so we've met the inventor of the hovercycle, we just need to make sure he keeps getting the parts he needs to keep working on it. Confirmed.
Hideyasu san seems so polite and happy that others find his inventions interesting. Very wholesome
.... the fact that it has office-chair-like wheels is just so amazingly silly and genius at the same time.
... and he's so modest about his creation. It's gorgeous.
A HOVER CRAFT SHOE? Damn this inventor is ambitious and I am all in for it.
I'm thinking of where to put the engine, and running hoses, and so on. I keep thinking more room would be needed; therefore, HOVERPANTS.
@@WyvernYT I'm just hoping that they can be compact enough that you could wear them normally, and then skate shoes would finally be a reality!
I love how the baackstory of this is just him impulse-buying a leafblower. With most people, this would end with the thing laying around somewhere collecting dust, not with a functional hovercraft
I love these things!
I love the design of his MH Labo logo, the use of casters for wheels, and that the air cushions look like soap bubbles!
There's something so wholesome about seeing someone who makes big things for fun and not for money or likes. Bravo
I love when people talk and explain things enthusiastically!
That bubble-hovercraft is straight out of a cartoon from the 70's lmao this is the future dude
@5:50 This casual dismount alone makes him a nominee for coolest guy alive!
I love the inventor of this hovercraft! He is so proud of his design but so humble
The motorcycle design looks so much cooler
Amazing what he's accomplished
A thank you to everyone who has worked on the video.
I wanted to thank the language translators, but realized: Everyone should receive a thank you.
Tom, watching you float around is like watching an air hockey puck stuck in limbo during a game, hahaha.
When I was a kid they used to advertise a plans to build a hovercraft not entirely unlike this in the back pages of comic books. I always wondered if they actually worked...
With a vacuum cleaner motor and some plywood. Then they said you could ride it around home or school. 😜if anyone actually built one of those things, it would be this guy,
i did this, yes it worked. you could go as far as the leaf blower cord would let you (since it was plugged in.) it was super hard to balance on but it did work in my driveway.
This video was so wholesome! The inventor is enjoying his passion, and getting to share his invention, while Tom is just happy to be trying it out!
Those bubbles are actually an incredible idea the more I think about it the more amazed I am, the more they deflate the more downwards force they exert, incredible
This is the kind of inventor I can get behind !! Not for fame and fortune, but for fun and learning !!
Tom looked like he had so much fun riding the hovercraft :D
That was sick, and to think it all started with a leaf blower!
He was so close to doing the Akira slide with his homemade hovercraft bike.
wow such an wholesome end to the japan series. cant wait to see what else tom has in stock. i hope you'll do more videos in other asian countries
I love how he's just doing it for fun. Not for money, views, or fame. He's just interested in making fun ideas come to life even if they aren't perfect and that's amazing.
Im glad the world has people like him
Love the Wes Anderson shot at 4:32
the quad-cushion idea is so interesting. I like this dude.
I love how humble he is about making things at home; I wish I had a mill and a lathe!
This guy's humble brilliance has made my day, wishing him all the best in life!
When I was growing up in the 1970s in England, there was a guy at the end of the road who used to build hovercraft. He only had a tiny house like us, but there was always one or two hovercraft on his drive. I was constantly fascinated by them, and he would occasionally let the local kids join him on the summer carnival day.
4:49 that sound was almost sci-fi
No, not almost. Pure sci-fi.
The wide shot of Tom gliding across the screen was delightful
"I appreciate he trusts me this much but I'm not sure he should" is exactly why he would trust you
And that's the last video from Japan! Thanks so much to everyone I met there, and especially to my local producer and camera op who made the whole thing possible.
onward to new places...!
Are you a time traveler?
The videos in Japan were something special.
Hope you come back to Japan again!
It's been an absolute joy watching these videos, so thanks to everyone involved from your many fans, I'm sure!