Single Person Electric Scooter for water sports

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Inspiration

We wanted to create a product that is both easy to use and economical for a single person that can allow the user to experience the joyfulness of both glidings through water and also a feel of elevating in the air.

What it does

It is an electrically operated scooter whose speed is controlled by the user with the help of the front handle/ stick as shown. Also, the stick allows the user to control and maneuver the direction of the vehicle in the sideways direction. The vehicle also can move in both vertical directions that are produced by the lift force from the hydrofoil attachment at the very bottom (just like the scene in which Harry Potter rides Buckbeak over water).

How we built it

We initially brainstormed and did some market analysis trying to capture a perfect opportunity and we identified that there was no product in the market that combined electric (high-speed experience) with the hydrofoil principle. Then we sketched out our design on paper while keeping in mind, as much engineering feasibility as possible and iterating over it. Finally, we CADed using SolidWorks as our primary software. The material is primarily polyurethane.

Challenges we ran into

The main challenge was to think about the safety of the user. For this, we incorporated a casing to the propeller imagining the worst-case scenario. This also allows the propeller to be less exposed to seaweeds or can other debris. Another challenge we had is the drive train power source selection. There are 3 types of batteries available in the market right now-

1. Deep cycle batteries, used for trolling motors application- Lead-acid type
2. Cranking Batteries, used to run the onboard electronics- Lead-acid type
3. Lithium Ion cell/ Batteries, Can be used for both trolling motors and also for onboard electronics

The main advantage of the first 2 is that they are very cheap and average lifespan(~3 years) however the disadvantages are as follows, maintenance issues, leakage issues, the discharge amps become lower and lower after each use, the cycle life gets hugely affected when the battery id over drained, needs larger space and has a lot of weight.

To overcome all of the above disadvantages, we think the Lithium-Ion battery pack will be the best power source. As anything has its pros and cons, the cost is slightly on the higher side. But as a one-time investment and creating a rental-based business model, it seems a viable option.

Also if the motor breaks down in the middle of the ocean, the board just below the footrest and above the motor can act as a source of stability and help the vehicle and the passenger on top of the water using buoyancy. In the meanwhile, the user can activate the SOS signal which will be located on the stick to inform the lifeguards on the shores.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The experience of creating a rudimentary design of a product, doing market research, and explaining based on scientific reasoning. Also taking up this 72-hour challenge has allowed us to know our current ability in terms of design.

What we learned

Importance of market study, identifying a problem, and taking small steps to try to bridge the gap.

What's next for Single Person Electric Scooter for water sports

There are definitely a lot of things that can be done with this product, for example connecting this with IoT systems to operate a few of the functions from either a phone or a smartwatch. Also, with a few modifications and adjustments, we can change its target audience towards disabled people as well, which not a lot of people think about.

Built With

• solidworks