Self-stabilizing skateboard
AssigneeFuture Motion, Inc.
InventorsKyle Jonathan Doerksen, Beau Robertson, Phil Rullman, Ximena Prugue, Daniel Blachinsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
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.
Claims20
A footpad set for an electric vehicle, comprising:
- a first footpad;
- and
- a second footpad comprising a membrane switch having one or more pressure transducers;
- wherein the first and second footpads are each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of a vehicle when the footpads are installed in the vehicle;
- wherein the second footpad has a concave-up profile in a heel-toe direction of the rider's foot;
- and
- wherein the membrane switch has a pair of open-ended slots in an outer end, forming an end portion and two side portions, such that the side portions of the membrane switch are configured to bend upward to conform to the concave-up profile of the footpad.
A rider detection system for a self-balancing electric vehicle, comprising:
- a rider detection sensor comprising a membrane switch disposed on a first footpad configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to an intended direction of travel of a vehicle using the rider detection system;
- a second footpad configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to an intended direction of travel of the vehicle;
- wherein the first and second footpads each have a concave-up profile in a heel-toe direction, and the membrane switch conforms to the concave-up profile of the first footpad;
- and
- wherein the membrane switch has a pair of open-ended, angled slots in an outer end, such that the membrane has an end portion and two side portions, and the side portions of the membrane switch are configured to bend upward to conform to the concave profile of the first footpad.
A set of footpads for an electric skateboard, comprising:
- a front footpad comprising a first membrane switch having one or more pressure transducers;
- and
- a rear footpad comprising a second membrane switch having one or more pressure transducers;
- wherein the front and rear footpads are each configured to receive a left or right foot of a rider oriented generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of a vehicle when the footpads are installed in the vehicle;
- wherein the front and rear footpads each have a concave-up profile in a heel-toe direction of the rider's foot;
- and
- wherein first and second membrane switches each have a pair of open-ended slots in an outer end, forming an end portion and two side portions, such that the side portions of each membrane switch are configured to bend upward to conform to the concave-up profile of the footpad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.