“I liked watching Detective Conan when I was little, and every time I watched it I always imagined that I could create a cool jet-skateboard. Now my dream comes true,” said Shangguan Xikun, a student majoring in mechanical design manufacturing and automation from Huazhong Agricultural University. He told the reporters from Changjiang Daily with excitement yesterday that his team had already produced the electric skateboard with a top speed of 22 kilometers per hour, exceeding that of electromobiles.
Yesterday the reporters went to the office of Shangguan’s team, which covered an area of 15 square meters. There is a small size 3D printer printing a part of a skateboard. And there are wires, plastics and planks on the floor. And the team has already finished the assembling of the fourth electric skateboard.
The electric skateboards they made look the same as ordinary ones, as the reporters observed. Shangguan explained, “The reason for the ‘lighting speed’ is the speed-control switch in the skateboard which could be governed by foot.” He also mentioned that their equipment is also installed with an electronic chip, a lithium?battery?pack and an engine. The skateboard will slow down or speed up as you pedal the switch lightly or heavily. Even beginners can handle it after threeor four times practices. He said:” After charging for 2 hours, this skateboard could go for 15 kilometers, and the heaviest only weighs 5 kilograms, which is suitable for students to get around the campus and have entertainment.”
Shangguan Xikun is a senior now. When he was a freshman, he was fiddled with making electric skateboards. He said: “Since I have seen the remote controlled electric skateboard developed by foreigners, I began to imitate them and bought a remote control with more than 1000 yuan I have saved, and then I tried to assemble the skateboard myself.
It is learned that they are preparing to bring the finished electric skateboard into market. The next goal of the team is to replace the planks with carbon?fiber, and engines with wheel hubs, in order to reduce weight of the whole product.
(By Fu Changran)
http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2016/0301/44730.shtml
