Skateboard

Introduction

Our team mission was to create an entertaining and functional skateboard, to be used everywhere, by anyone and eco-friendly; gain experience about electric motors and build something new and innovative. In fact, the peculiarity of this skateboard is that you can accelerate by moving forward and decelerate by leaning backwards. You can do this thanks to pressure sensors which are on the board.

Materials

• wood plank
• motorized wheels
• trucks
• Handmade pressure sensors
• arduino UNO schede
• 1 speed controller 
• 1 battery Lipo 6S 22.2V 3300mAh 

Risk assessment 

When the project started we were not sure if we would have been able to make it move, but we were very determined to do it: we were just trying to do something but without certainty. 

The most difficult part was to write on the software the instructions to make the speed controller work. We were able to find two different ways to make the wheels move: one including the use of the speed controller, one without. The first one is the most secure because we can assure the person who is skateboarding that the skateboard won’t go too fast, won’t accelerate too fast and won’t stop immediately when you press the sensor. We are still working on this part, in order to make the skateboard more safe.

Method 

First of all we tried to understand what materials we needed to create an electric skateboard, so we started to design it and we made a list or wrote down ideas: it’s always very important to write things in order not to forget them! After we had an idea of the project we searched online every component to compare different prices and also different exemplary to find the best one for us. In doing this we also understood better how to make it work since we had no wide previous knowledge about electrical circuits or other parts, so we were learning by searching/ finding things. Once we had bought every component it was the time to build it up! 

Before putting ourselves on work we thought different ways to do it, we did some trials, again we searched on the internet for further details, looking for some instructions from people who did something similar and we asked help to the Americans guys of MIT who actually did the project, and, at the end, when we were enough secure, we combined and unite every single pieces. 

We also divided the work in smaller groups, so everyone had something specific to do and we saved time. Everyone could choose the part of the work that most was fitting for them and that most interested them, but we also tried to change the position of work so everybody could try different things and have a fuller experience. 

Meanwhile the project was building, we calibrated the sensors and we created a first attempt of the sketch in order to make it moves. We did several researching on the internet and some Americans guys, that knew better the software arduino and the one of the speed controlled, helped us. In the end, we were able to make it move.