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Fran Romano
Designer and Engineer
Welcome to the
Electric Penny Board
An electric modification to the existing Penny Board
DIY electric skateboards aren't new, but my friend Mohsin and I have created something
different
an electric skateboard controlled using the volume buttons of an iPhone
Here's what we did
After
216 Wh Battery
190 KV DC Brushless Motor
Polyurethane Belt
Custom Motor Mount
Custom Timing Pulley
"Wheel Hub"
Parts Labeled
Design Requirements:
-
All Penny Board parts remain unchanged and intact
-
Speed is controlled using the +/- buttons of an iPhone
Custom Made Features:
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Press-fit wheel sprocket
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Motor mounting
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Silicone washers - using 3D printed molds
-
iPhone to ESC BLE communication via Arduino
1
2
3
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GIF of how the press fit sprocket works:
Wheel Sprocket Press Fit Designs
Ridged
Side View
Isometric View
Spiked
Thread
Tapered
Thread
Machining & Testing: Spiked Hub
Motor Mount Rapid Prototyping
(Prototype wood mounts fabricated with laser cutter ➝ final aluminum mount fabricated with waterjet)
Silicone washers using 3D printed molds
(Creating a buffer between the motor mount and the trucks of the board)
iPhone Application
When this project started, we didn't know if it was even possible to speed up and slow down a motor with the volume buttons of an iPhone. It had never been done before.
Video of prototype showing app work flow and volume-button-triggered motor engagement
iPhone to Motor Communication
Current Status
Our board is currently exploring the streets of San Francisco
The Team
Fran Romano & Mohsin Haider
Two sophomore mechanical engineering students just trying to skate around
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