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Post by hoverboards on Feb 15, 2016 9:38:37 GMT -5
What do you think about self balancing scooters or hoverboards? (yes, I know they don't hover, but the general public calls them hoverboards) More specifically, I'm working on creating an blog post and wanted to get the opinion of more traditional scooter users. Do you think that hoverboards will be able to pass their current safety issues and integrate into how people travel in their daily lives? Or do you think they are a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode?
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Post by dollartwentyfive on Feb 15, 2016 10:19:17 GMT -5
if i understand the technology correctly, "hoverboards", AKA sedgeways, balance themselves by a very slight backward and forward motion to keep the center of gravity over the wheel axle.
to go forward, you lean forward, and the mechanism drives the wheels to reacquire balance.
scooters aren't balanced in this manner.
so my answer is no, scooters will not be applicable to the hoverboard concept.
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Post by SylvreKat on Feb 15, 2016 23:57:41 GMT -5
I doubt they'll be a way to travel around, not unless you live in a smaller-populated city or rather close to work/grocery/etc. They currently don't go fast enough to be safe in traffic, yet are too fast for sidewalk safety. And then there's the issue with spontaneous  combustion on the cheapies.... However, I can see them being big on college campuses. If the campuses permit them. I know UMKC banned them, and I believe I heard of at least one other college doing likewise. >'Kat |
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Post by rockynv on Feb 16, 2016 5:18:39 GMT -5
They do not balance themselves you have to balance them which is probably why so many new owners provide as many YouTube Fail Videos. They are self balancing in that you have to balance them yourself.
Too expensive for what you get most times.
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Post by dollartwentyfive on Feb 16, 2016 8:05:38 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segway_PTunder the technology heading we have: IOW, the sedgeway tries to keep your center of gravity over the drive wheels. when at rest, it does this by a very slight to and fro motion.
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Post by hoverboards on Feb 16, 2016 8:11:26 GMT -5
Ah, I hand't even considered that whole train of thought. My original line of questioning was just to see what the community thought of them overall. i.e. Is it just a phenomenon that will quickly pass?
It's nuts just how many different names that they have for them, but for ease of conversation, I'm just going to refer to them as a hoverboard. What's the criteria of what makes a personal transportation device a scooter?
Should it be a two wheeled vehicle that has it's wheels arranged fore and aft, inline with the direction of travel?
But could you also call something a scooter if it had it's 2 wheels arranged perpendicular to the direction of travel?
Or maybe it doesn't matter how the wheels are arranged, or the number. (this way electric unicycles, Segways, trikes, and quads can get thrown into this too) Instead it matters solely upon the method of controlling the device.
So it brings me back to the point of what is the criteria that make something a scooter vs not a scooter?
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Post by hoverboards on Feb 16, 2016 8:17:14 GMT -5
There's at least 20 campuses that have banned them, along with airlines and several municipalities. The chairman of the CPSC made an interesting comment that they were looking into whether people's weights might actually be the reason that their are so many wipeouts. The point he was making was that the code inside them might not account for wide variety of body weights, and suddenly could adjust throwing the person off.
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Post by JR on Feb 16, 2016 8:17:18 GMT -5
Ah, I hand't even considered that whole train of thought. My original line of questioning was just to see what the community thought of them overall. i.e. Is it just a phenomenon that will quickly pass? It's nuts just how many different names that they have for them, but for ease of conversation, I'm just going to refer to them as a hoverboard. What's the criteria of what makes a personal transportation device a scooter? Should it be a two wheeled vehicle that has it's wheels arranged fore and aft, inline with the direction of travel? But could you also call something a scooter if it had it's 2 wheels arranged perpendicular to the direction of travel? Or maybe it doesn't matter how the wheels are arranged, or the number. (this way electric unicycles, Segways, trikes, and quads can get thrown into this too) Instead it matters solely upon the method of controlling the device. So it brings me back to the point of what is the criteria that make something a scooter vs not a scooter? Frankly I don't understand the name scooter being applied to them? To me "death trap" would be more fitting.  JR |
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Post by dollartwentyfive on Feb 16, 2016 8:43:36 GMT -5
i think one of the biggest problems with sedgeways is the momentum of the rider.
you simply cannot get much speed and fast stops without throwing the rider from the machine.
inline wheels, such as scooters and motorcycles, prevents these types of accidents.
the only exception would be revving the engine and dumping the clutch for a wheelie.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 16, 2016 11:51:38 GMT -5
What JR said... Yup!
I'll go with a trike first. But then, I'm still awed by tubeless-tires, 8-track tapes, color TV and touch-tone phones.
Leo
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Post by rockynv on Feb 16, 2016 13:26:42 GMT -5
Its just that the units refered to as Hoverboards are only two drive motors hooked together by a bearing that allows you to tip you feet forward or backwards to change the motion of drive on that side from forward to reverse. No gyros or other balancing devices inside just a motor, incline switch and battery along with a few lights.
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Post by JoeyBee on Feb 16, 2016 13:41:54 GMT -5
Its just that the units refered to as Hoverboards are only two drive motors hooked together by a bearing that allows you to tip you feet forward or backwards to change the motion of drive on that side from forward to reverse. No gyros or other balancing devices inside just a motor, incline switch and battery along with a few lights. I agree with rockynv, there's really nothing special about them. I question why, or who, has been pushing them so agressively on TV and the Internet. For such a simple device it seemed like everyone started talking about them overnight. |
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Post by SylvreKat on Feb 17, 2016 0:18:43 GMT -5
I agree with rockynv, there's really nothing special about them. I question why, or who, has been pushing them so agressively on TV and the Internet. For such a simple device it seemed like everyone started talking about them overnight. I think in part they caught on so fast 'cause apparently they're rather fun. A neighbor's grandson has one of those little fire-starters (or not, might have the better quality one), brought it for Grandma to see (and no, she did NOT test it out herself!) A local reporter tried one on air and even though she was obviously nervous you could tell she also was having fun. I think they're basically toys. Not transportation, not really. As for Sedgeways, I thought they had handles on an upright? >'Kat |
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Post by onewheeldrive on Feb 17, 2016 2:53:45 GMT -5
Ever since Back To The Future II (one of my fav movies of all time, the original is better, IMO) "everyone", especially the younger age groups, wanted a hover board---these are just the next step towards that.
Remember they had Back To The Future Day on October 21st 2015 (my birthday!) right before the holiday season. I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. Every TV news network (and internet) was comparing the future in the movie to present day real time to see how accurate it was. When it came to talk about hover boards being mainstream they said it didn't happen because of the requirements...... "BUT we have THESE! The next best thing!".
Saw a few NBA players on TV with them. too, late last year. Those things were everywhere in the media.
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Post by cyborg on Feb 17, 2016 8:54:37 GMT -5
I think the tech should be studied,,but there are accident problems,so rider gear is needed more even tho the speeds are less,,,i've tried one,,,they're fun,,,but i see huge fall injuries,,,and they are for smooth surfaces,,,lets put it this way,,you won't be seeing them on the farm or out in the country
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