Robotic Skateboard Will Get You Around Without Making You Sweat

Last week was the annual Tech Geek Expo in New Haven, Connecticut. This is a gathering of innovative creators who wish to showcase their latest ideas to special guests from some of the world's largest companies. My employer sent me along to view the expo first hand. What caught my eye was something that could change the world of skateboarding forever. Let me introduce to you the Robotic Skateboard and how it will enable everyone to skateboard.

A first glance at the Robotic Skateboard makes you wonder how it can properly work. It is rather bulky and looks more like a large robotic remote control car than anything else. Perhaps the best summary that you could give the Robotic Skateboard is that it is a two-wheeled robotic machine that can hold up to 400 pounds while transporting you from point A to point B. The overall design was very basic and bland looking but the creators promised that they would fix this if investors are interested.

Demonstrators showed us the Robotic Skateboard in action. You simply climb upon the skateboard with a handy wireless remote control in your hands. All you then need to do is press the start button to make the skateboard begin to move. You will then be able to control the directions the skateboard takes by a easy to use navigational keypad. The inventors are also considering offering a joystick version as well. If you wish to stop, simply press the button that will bring you to a slow and complete stop.

Probably the biggest negative about this skateboard is how fast it goes. Some expert skateboarders can blaze along at speeds of 10 to 20mph. This Robotic Skateboard can only go 6mph. This is quite slow and you could probably obtain this from a hard sprint. Once again, the inventors were prepared for the reaction and explained a faster speed could easily be developed into the skateboard after safety tests were properly conducted.

Current estimates of how much the Robotic Skateboard costs to create is around $600. This means the company would have to sell it for $1000 to make a profit. The inventors view this price as too high and are working towards cutting costs as much as possible. Overall, the goal is to have the Robotic Skateboard available for sale in 2013 for around $500. This could drastically change the popularity of skateboarding from a cult phenomenon to a world phenomenon. Keep yourself posted to Associated Content for the latest updates.

Sources: Steven A. Mottor, My Own Hands on Review, 2010
Crunchgear, http://www.crunchgear.com, 2010