The demand for these devices has become so high that several companies have dedicated themselves to their production. This has made it possible to create hoverboards for all age groups and budgets. There are hoverboards at affordable prices, such as the Hoverboards, up to devices created and marketed by major brands such as the Lamborghini Hoverboards.
In this article, we will analyze the functioning of a hoverboard by talking about all the components of which it is composed and the role they play to allow the use of the product. Here are the points we’re going to address:
The principle of using the hoverboard
The principle on which the hoverboard is based is the center of gravity. In order to work, the hoverboard must understand at all times where the user’s center of gravity is. This information is transmitted to it by the accelerometer and the gyroscope.
Any change in the center of gravity, even the smallest, is immediately detected and transmitted to the engine which supplies counter pressure to the wheels to keep the rider upright at all times.
Hoverboards are built in such a way that each of the wheels has its own gyroscope, tilt sensor, and speed sensor. They are placed under the frame where the user places his feet.
Once the user places their feet on the board, the gyroscope feeds data to the logic board whenever the user leans forward or backward. When it’s not tilting, the IR sensor, which sits under the foot placement, feeds data to the logic board to not move and not run the motor. By sensing the pressure on the footrests, the hoverboard will move accordingly.
The components of a self-balancing scooter
To understand how a hoverboard works, it is necessary to know the various components of which it is made up. These components work in sync allowing movement. These components are:
- Two wheels with two motors and two IR sensors;
- Two gyroscopes;
- Two tilt/speed sensors;
- A logic board;
- A battery pack;
- A power switch;
- A plastic casing
- A frame with a central pivot
- One Charging Port
I sensors IR
IR sensors are very common sensors that use infrared rays to obtain reflected data from the object to measure its presence and distance from the sensor which can be used for many applications.
The tilt and speed sensors
The tilt and speed sensors measure the speed of the moving wheels in rpm (revolutions per minute) and send the data to the gyroscope and logic board to control the speed.
The Hoverboard
It is the hoverboards central processing unit. This logic board has a microprocessor as its main component. Sends and receives data from all sensors, and sends processed data to motors for the motion required by the user allowing continuous adjustments. It also manages power from the batteries as well.
And gyroscope
It is the most important component, so the other name of this vehicle is “Gyro scooter” . The gyroscope basically measures angular change based on mass displacement within the gyroscope.
Hoverboards have an electronic gyroscope that uses the Coriolis effect for its operation. When a mass is moving in a particular direction with a particular velocity and when an external angular velocity is exerted whose axis is perpendicular to the motion, a Coriolis force will occur which will be perpendicular to both, causing a perpendicular displacement of the mass.
The battery packs
The most commonly used battery on hoverboards is a 36V 4400 mAH lithium battery. The batteries, in addition to being the “fuel” of the device, determine the power of the hoverboard and the relative maximum speed that can be reached. Battery pack life is influenced by quality but also by usage.
The wheels and engines
Hoverboards always have two motors, one for each wheel. This allows the wheels to accelerate and move independently of each other at different speeds. Each wheel is equipped with sensors that read the speed and send this information to the gyroscopes.
How a Hoverboard works
Hoverboards are built so that each of the wheels has its own gyroscope and speed and tilt sensor. They are placed under the frame where the user places their feet. Once the person places their feet on the board, the gyroscope feeds data to the logic board whenever the person leans forward or backward.
When it’s not tilting, the IR sensor, which is under the foot placement, feeds data to the logic board to not move and not run the motor.
When tilted in a particular direction and a defined angle, data from the gyroscope is transmitted to the logic board to run the motor which enables the wheels to rotate and the pilot to move forward. The greater the incline, the greater the speed.
Each wheel has its own gyroscope for spinning too. To turn left, the rider moves his right leg forward, thus moving only the right wheel and keeping the motor of the left wheel off. This will lead to a left turn. Likewise, for the right turn, the left foot will move forward.
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