I want to believe this is real. I really want to believe this is real. Please internet, just let us have this one thing: an astoundingly cool WipeOut model car track based on superconductivity and magnetic fields. It’s incredible looking.
The question is, of course, CG or not CG? Certain parts look a little fishy, but the principles ostensibly behind the levitation are scientific fact. And yet, we can’t find any “JAPAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.” Its YouTube channel only has one video upload — and a Gmail address. Plus, the fact that this is tied to a video game screams VIRAL AD HELLO right into my ear.
But please — just let this be real.
What do you think? Have we been suckered?
[Reddit]
Matt
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:12 PMLooks like fun…but also looks fake. Shame :o(
Fashtas
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:15 PMFake. 1:14 – Particle effect on opposite side of the track to the vehicle emitting it
deadnotsleeping
Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 8:19 AMAlso I don’t know how many science institutes have guitar hero drum sets in the back ground (see 1:30)
Michael
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:18 PMOn one hand we’ve seen the super cooling floating thing before that’s been proven legit.
However, the “cloud” behind each of the cars just doesn’t look real at all, some times looks like it’s slow motion yet the camera moves at normal speed.
Also, one would hope a scientific institute could spell research correctly, unless there is an actual variation of the word that adds an e to it, but google just corrected me when I searched for it.
Michael
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:19 PMHeh I should have read it even closer, that word is mangled.
Nicholas
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:26 PM@Title: it needs to be asked? :S
Timmahh
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:32 PMIf it’s fake, they went to a lot of trouble with it! I think it’s for real, looks like they had a bit of trouble with the alignment of the magnetic forces in a couple of places. Plus the cloud is not smoke it’s liquid hydrogen vapor so it wouldn’t act like it. Very cooool!!
Ryan
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 6:10 PMThey are wearing lab-coats, thus, this is real.
Daniel
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 9:50 PMYou sound like a man that worked on SOPA
Ozoneocean
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 6:41 PMThe way I can tell that it’s not real is because of the textures they’ve used for the track. They appear too “soft” and light absorbing. Unless the whole thing was made out of rubber it couldn’t look that way. But shadows and reflections don’t work exactly right away. It’s basically a pretty standard texture for simple 3D models, so it’s easy to tell and also hard to work out why they’d be so lazy in that one aspect when they did so well with the rest, especially the camera motion.
If it was real I doubt you could get the precise control that they show here- there’s no real effects of inertial momentum.
Patrick
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 6:56 PMIt’s fake, check out 1:14.. can see the smoke go through the track,
Luke
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 7:04 PMWell spotted.
Jamie
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 7:36 PMFake. Not because of the smoke, just because it LOOKs fake.
Also, when he places the racer on the track it changes tone, loses detail and is absolutely stationary despite still having pressure applied.
Geebee
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 8:23 PMDefinitely fake, watch the filling, angles, depth look wrong, zero cloud after, no one would do that with rubber gloves as the slightest leak of nitrogen would destroy your hand and when the car is placed on the track there is no reaction at all to being let go.
Etc.
felicitous blue
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 9:13 PMThe fact there’s a new wipeout game out soon is highly suspicious as well…..
Richard
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 9:29 PMCongratulations Gizmodo!
You’ve just been suckered by a shitty viral campaign
SamX
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 10:01 PMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-zGy_QgQcE&feature=related
Thats what it’s based on. The video above is legit, skip to about 1:00 to see the real thing.
The video is no doubt faked, but possibly do-able..?
jamall
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 11:06 PMI don’t even need to go back and look at the mistakes spotted above to know it’s fake, everyone’s missed the most blatant flaw – they weren’t wearing stethoscopes!
Ash
Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 9:32 AMMagnets perhaps?
Francois
Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 9:52 AMI reckon this is real. There have been a lot of work done on quantum levitation as per this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws6AAhTw7RA It’s all about the interaction of superconductors with magnets.
Chris
Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 10:12 AMDude! If you cannot tell this is fake then you have no right to be writing for or reading a tech blog.
Will
Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 4:03 PMNot sure if it is fake or not (OK, it is) but the clue is in the “controller” he uses… it says 3D connextion… check out their website.
zbeam
Friday, January 6, 2012 at 1:03 AMclosest to real wipeout is the mario kart choro-q hybrid cars you previewed, but never reviewed.
that track looks to nice, its new wipeout viral ads i bet.