Electric Nickel Board

Project Description:

We intend to build an electric two-wheel scooter with a 3D printed chassis. The scooter will ride on 4.9” diameter skateboard wheels and the drive shaft will be run by a 12 V high torque motor. The scooter will have a contact braking system in which friction slows down the drive wheel. The motor and 12 V battery will be hooked to a variable speed controller so as to be able to accelerate the scooter to a desired speed. Depending on the cost, we would like to add an infrared proximity sensor as a means for collision avoidance. The sensor would allow us to compute the distance of objects in front of the scooter and if the rider is approaching an object or person, a speaker on the bottom of the scooter can sound a tone to warn the driver.

Overview:

We intend to build an electric two-wheel scooter powered by a 12 V brushed DC motor. The scooter will have a speed controller to allow the user to accelerate to a desired speed. The main handle bar shaft will be will be able to swivel so that the user can manually vary the angle of the front wheel to steer the scooter. The scooter has a brake on the back wheel so as to allow the rider to slow the scooter through contact friction between the wheel and brake. The scooter will feature a 7AH battery which allows the rider a considerable travel distance on a charge. The scooter battery will be a Lead Acid battery and can be recharged via a ac to dc 12 V wall charger.

Objectives:

The scooter must be durable (able to withstand a rider of reasonable weight) and the motor must be able to put out enough torque to accelerate the rider. The speed controller should allow the user to accurately choose what speed they desire to ride at and the brake should allow the user to stop in a reasonable distance. The scooter should be able to traverse smooth terrain without a rough ride. The battery should be able to sustain the scooter for a reasonable amount of time and the scooter should be able to power on and off.

Challenges

The main challenge of this project is going to be creating the CAD files for all of the parts as they need to fit together and the tolerances therefore need to be accurate. The printing of the parts will be challenging and we expect to have to reprint some of the main parts. We need to schedule enough time to print all of the parts as well as to have enough time to reprint if necessary. The handlebar mount and front wheel mount will be difficult to design and will have to be sturdy to withstand the weight of a rider. User safety is an important factor as well as ease of use. We need to isolate the battery and circuitry to minimize user injury by electronic failures. We also want to make the handle bar design as ergonomic as possible so the rider can control the scooter easily. Finally, the break should operate smoothly so the rider can stop and avoid obstacles. Balancing the budget is a challenge and we have to pick and choose only essential parts for the operation of the scooter. The operation cost should be relatively low with only the occasional need to recharge the battery.

Team Members

Ari Cotler, Serra Erdamar, Andrew O'Sullivan (TA)