Real-Life Flying Carpet Floats in Midair

May 14, 2026 | News On Japan

NAGOYA - A mysterious object floating softly through the air has captured widespread attention online, with researchers at Nagoya University developing an ultra-lightweight material that appears to behave like a real-life “flying carpet.”

The floating object is not a fake AI-generated video, but an actual experimental material created by Tomonaga Ueno, an assistant professor at the university’s Graduate School of Engineering.

After videos of the material were uploaded to social media, they drew major attention, surpassing 1.8 million views in less than a week.

The material floats without the use of wind or magnetic force. Instead, its movement relies on a mechanism similar to that of a hot-air balloon.

According to Ueno, the sponge-like ultra-lightweight material becomes buoyant when exposed to light. The light warms the air trapped inside the material, generating lift that allows it to float gently through the air.

Researchers hope the technology could eventually find practical applications in the aerospace sector.

As for whether the technology could one day lead to an actual flying carpet capable of carrying people, Ueno said that remains far more difficult.

He noted that transporting humans would not be easy, though he believes the technology could eventually be used to carry lighter objects in the future.

Source: FNN

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