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It may not be the hoverboard we were all hoping for in 2015, but a San Francisco firm has the next best thing - a self balancing one wheeled motorised skateboard. 

Called the Onewheel, the $1300 gadget has a single air filled tyre taken from a go-kart.

It can reach speeds on 12mph, and turn 360 degrees within the length of the board - all while balancing itself using the same motion sensing technology found in a smartphone.

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The one wheeled skateboard can reach speeds of 12mph, and riders accelerate simply by leaning

The firm behind it, Future Motion says it 'lets you fly over pavement on only a single wheel'.

Last year the launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the project.

This year, it showed off the finished version at CES in Las Vegas.

'Onewheel represents a huge shift in the typically stagnant, technology starved world of boardsports,' said Kyle Doerksen, who invented the board.

Riders can accelerate up to 12MPH only by leaning toward their front foot. Leaning back slows down, or even reverses, and regenerative braking recharges the battery during deceleration. 

He says riding one is like flying.

'The first thing you'll notice when you get on Onewheel is that it's simultaneously familiar and unlike anything you've ever ridden. 

'The technology enables it to ride much more smoothly than a skateboard and carve turns like on snow or a surfboard.'

The board can even be ridden offroad thanks to its self balancing software

For more adventurous riders, Extreme shaping has a higher top speed and looser, more fluid feel that allows for deep carving

'Onewheel combines breakthrough hub motor technology with an advanced balance-augmentation control system to create a personal digital vehicle at the intersection of recreation and transportation,' the firm says. 

In just ten months since the introduction of the prototype, the company turned the concept into reality and is currently shipping its pre-order units. 

It has now starting selling the board online, for delivery next month. 

The firm also revealed a new app that can 'shape' the board to each rider, learning how they move.

'Much like surfboards are shaped differently to create ideal riding experiences for different riders and conditions, Onewheel's iPhone app uses Digital Shaping to create the perfect ride,' it said.

The firm also plans to regularly add new features via software updates.

'One of Tesla car owners' favorite features is the ability to upgrade their car through software.,' said Doerksen.

'It's magical. 

Meet the £800 one-wheeled skateboard that can balance itself

A OneWheel costs $1,499 (£991) and ships approximately eight weeks from the date of order. Inventor Kyle Doerksen said its top speed is 12mph (19km/h), but that its speed 'is capped by software and could go faster'

'With Onewheel, we do the same. 

'We can improve the ride experience and unlock new features with firmware upgrades deployed wirelessly via the app.

The firm says the real trick to riding is to master the 'carve' turn rather like a snowboard.

'The real fun of riding Onewheel is carving on pavement.

The Onewheel is sadly still some way from the Hoverboard seen in Back to the Future - but its makers claim the effect of riding one is similar to flying

The board is now onsale, after a Kickstarter campaign was a huge hit

'It's like snowboarding on powder or surfing awave, but no mountain or ocean is required. Just a flat paved surface.

The hub motor has state-of-the-art axial flux brushless motor technology, which gives it the power it needs without a transmission—no gears or belts, just one moving part, the wheel itself.

Powerful lithium iron phosphate batteries provide high peak power for acceleration and self-balancing, and recharge in under 20 minutes using the fast charger option.

Test riders describe it as feeling 'like a natural extension of your balance'.

The firm also claim it is simple to learn.

'Most people can learn to ride Onewheel in a couple minutes even if they're not used to boardsports,' it says.

'That's because controlling a Onewheel is so intuitive.

'Powerful sensors and sophisticated algorithms are constantly helping you balance and control your ride with just the forward or backward lean of your body.

'People with experience with other boardsports are often ready to ride aggressively within their first few minutes on Onewheel.'