www.3ders.org

Oct 21, 2015 | By Alec

Of all the anticipated 3D printed creations, few have been as exciting as Faraday Motion’s electronic skateboard. Perhaps it’s because the skateboard is making a comeback in urban environments, its open source mindset, or because we all want to 3D print something that can carry us around. Fortunately, this Danish-made Faraday Motion Spine electronic skateboard is now available for pre-order. Three different 3D printable kits have currently been posted on their website, as well as the promise that more is forthcoming.

For those of you who haven’t yet heard of Faraday Motion, this Denmark-based startup combines the forces of a number of engineers, makers and researchers from Denmark, Poland, Sweden and the US. They have been actively working on a completely open source 3D printed longboard design for some time, and have been keeping the making crowds excited throughout that time. ‘We are on a mission to empower urban citizens with the tools needed to intuitively create their own personalized electrical vehicles,’ the team previously explained. In August of this year, they even livestreamed an event to demonstrate building one of these cool electric skateboards in just two hours or so.

But it looks like the 3D printed Faraday Motion Spine is now finally ready for primetime, as the team has recently opened up for preorders for three different kits. And it fortunately looks like all the promised characteristics are included. That means an imprssive top speed of around 30 km per hour, with a battery powerful enough to take you 10 km on a single charge. ‘[This depends] on things like speed, how steady you are going. Can be upgraded by adding more batteries in a serial connection,’ its designers add. Power is provided by a 1000W 50 mm brushless outrunner motor.

The Spine is also lightweight at just 8kg, and yet takes about 100 hours to 3D print on a desktop 3D printer with a bed size of at least 200 x 200 mm. Of course the electronics and screws are off-the-shelf, to ensure reliability. It is also app controlled, but the open-source nature of the Spine is not at all in danger. ‘it’s an open platform, so you can hack your own controller. On that note, we have for instance hacked a Nintendo Wii Nunchuck controller for the controlling of the vehicle,’ they add. For a micro-controller, the team uses a custom developed model made by team member Benjamin Vedder.

So what different options are available? The first set is a print-yourself-kit, for which all the 3D printable parts can be found on Thingiverse and Youmagine already. The kit itself will include the Spine Deck, the engine parts and electronic essentials, and you simply assemble the entire longboard with home-printed parts. While costing €495 (or approximately $560 USD, shipping to the US possible), it is a very cool project to work on.

The other options include an assemble-yourself kit, that still needs some engineering done on it, but is easier to work with, for €595, and a ready-to-go option. The latter kit obviously consists of a completely road-ready machine, though with open hardware API to enable maximum tinkering. At €695, you still get your money’s worth. All pre-orders are set to start shipping within a few weeks from now.

Current specifications:

• 3D printable spare parts
• 8 km Range
• 25 km/h
• 1 Motor setup
• 10 Percent inclines
• 7-8kg weight
• 1000W 50 mm brushless outrunner motor
• ABS Regenerative Motor Braking
• Wifi receiver/mobile phone controlled IOS/Android
• Advanced Hackable Open Source Vehicle Motorcontroller
• Upgradeable

In addition to the Spine longboard model, the company has already released some details about their upcoming model, the Faraday Hyperboard. "The HyperBoard is basically an example of what you can develop your Faraday Spine into becoming," Frederik Lean Hansen, marketing strategist at Faraday, told 3Ders.org. While it is built from the same foundation as the Faraday Spine entry-level version, new features include an additional Faraday Motor, three more batteries, pressure sensors, front/back LED lights, a programmable display and more. "We have used 3D printing to make the upgrades possible by printing all the components and compartments that hold the electronics, motors, batteries, etc. in place with a design that leaves room for lots of upgrades," said Lean Hansen. The vehicle itself is open-source and completely customizable.

While we're excited for the HyperBoard to be officially launched, with the Spine already available, we can't think of a cooler road-worthy 3D printed vehicle for such a low cost, so be sure to check it out on the Faraday Motion website. While not suitable for cobblestones or dirt road, it looks fantastic and we can already dream about taking this bad boy for a spin. And with promising upgrades on the horizon – think 3D printed handles and wheels, custom brakes, LED lights, a USB charger, and a load of sensors – the Faraday Motion will probably be a huge hit.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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