Self-Stabilizing Skateboard with Concave Footpad and Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-balancing electric vehicles lack effective mechanical and electronic control systems for stable tilting and user comfort, particularly in designs that accommodate footpads with complex curvature and efficient battery management.
Innovation Solution
The development of a self-stabilizing skateboard with a tiltable board configuration, featuring a U-shaped bumper design for secure attachment, a concave footpad with embedded sensors for rider detection, and a battery management system that ensures safe charging through identification signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a complex curved footpad design is used to accommodate rider feet, then user comfort is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The footpad is divided into multiple curved sections with different radii, allowing each segment to be manufactured separately with standardized precision while collectively forming the complex ergonomic shape that accommodates rider feet comfortably
Solution Approach 2:
The footpad design utilizes varying curvature parameters across different zones to optimize comfort for different foot positions, while maintaining manufacturability by applying parameter changes within controlled tolerances rather than requiring uniform high precision throughout
2Reliability
If a U-shaped bumper with sliding channels is used for secure attachment, then structural reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The U-shaped bumper integrates multiple attachment functions into a single structural element, combining the mounting bracket, sliding channels, and securing mechanisms into one piece that attaches to both the deck and battery enclosure, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding channel acts as an intermediary mechanism between the bumper and battery enclosure, providing a controlled movement path that allows for easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining secure attachment during operation, thus balancing reliability with operational simplicity
3Measurement precision
If embedded sensors are added to the footpad for rider detection, then control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The embedded sensors in the footpad serve multiple functions: detecting rider presence, determining foot position, and potentially measuring pressure distribution, thereby improving control precision across multiple parameters while using a single integrated sensor system rather than separate systems for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The footpad structure itself is designed to work in conjunction with the embedded sensors, where the footpad's curvature and positioning automatically optimize sensor contact with the rider's feet, eliminating the need for additional adjustment mechanisms or complex sensor mounting structures
4Reliability
If a battery management system with identification signals is used for safe charging, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The battery management system uses identification signals that provide feedback between the charging port and battery pack to verify compatibility and proper connection before enabling charging, thereby ensuring safety through automated verification rather than manual checking or complex user procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The identification signal verification occurs automatically before the charging process begins, performing the safety check in advance to prevent improper charging connections, thus ensuring safety without requiring complex real-time monitoring during the charging operation itself
Data Source
AI summary
A self-propelled, one-wheeled vehicle may include a board having two deck portions each having a concave front footpad configured to receive a foot of a rider, and a wheel assembly disposed between the deck portions. The concave front footpad has a rider detection sensor in the form of a membrane switch conforming to the shape of the footpad (e.g., facilitated by one or more slots formed in the membrane switch). A motor assembly drives the vehicle in response to board orientation and rider detection information.