Researchers in Scotland discover levitation effect. No more friction?

Let's be honest here... when one brings up the gecko in a car related discussion, the first thing that you think of is Geico, right? If your answer was yes, the marketing team for the insurance company gets a high-five from us. But, we are not going to be discussing insurance today, but something much more interesting. Getting back to the gecko lizard for a moment - you are probably familiar with the fact that the lizard can stick to objects which appear to be completely smooth. Recent scientific experiments have indicated that this might be due to the "Casimir force", which is the force that causes atoms to stick together. With the recent advances in nanotechnology, scientists have found that they battle the force from time to time, whenever they need their tiny devices to move instead of staying stationary.
Professor Ulf Leonhardt and Dr. Thomas Philbin, from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, have found a way to reverse the Casimir force, causing objects to repel instead of attract. The research could help pave the way for tiny machines with zero friction, which could have many automotive uses. Additionally, many of you are probably thinking of moving humans via levitation, and the team has thought of that too. At this point, hoverboards are still a ways off. Maybe still in our lifetime? But remember, "hoverboards don't work on water, unless you've got POWER!"

[Source: Telegraph via Engadget]