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Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

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Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#131

Post by baddox »

jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

> These contraptions are illegal to use in public

Citation needed.

> It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard.

I don't skateboard, so I don't know, but it seems like a lot of people are pretty effective at transporting themselves via skateboard. Besides, how does this contraption exacerbate the problem? If it's accelerating you to higher top speeds than a self-powered skateboard, then sure, but if the speeds are the same I don't see how this board could do anything other than improve braking.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#132

Post by k33n »

mynameishere wrote: post #129
k33n wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment is proof that no matter how awesome the product in an article posted to HN, somebody will always find a way to declare that it will certainly fail. Your comment contains so many factual inaccuracies that it's not even worth debating. I hope that comments like this will start to be deleted in the future because they are the reason many people, including myself, refrain from participating here more.

awesome Since when did obvious nuisances become "awesome". I hope that comments like this will start to be deleted I hope that comments referring to obvious nuisances as "awesome" will be deleted. Here's the problem, as no one has quite caught on yet: The public transport areas consist of two main areas: Those for street-legal vehicles (cars, motorbikes, bicycles) and pedestrians (walkers, wheelchairs, baby carriages…

At the risk of feeding the trolls, I'll bite.

Who is this "obvious" to? Clearly not you, since you think it's a horrible idea. Electronic skateboards have been around for quite awhile, and until now, they've been very heavy and mostly impractical. Yet, they are a viable product in the market and popular enough that people are making money selling them. One of the reasons this product is a leap forward is because it's lightweight enough to be used as a normal skateboard without electric power.

Simply stating that there is no place for this product on the sidewalk doesn't make it true, and I personally disagree with you. Stating that it is a "danger to everybody on the roadway" is absolutely absurd and simply untrue. Any vehicle that is under the control of a competent and observent operator will not be a danger to others in the least.

Here's the real problem: The contrarian, negative, hostile commenters on HN are the vocal majority in a lot of cases. Personally, I'm really, really tired of this even being accepted by the community.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#134

Post by ditojim »

jazzychad wrote: post #19

No motorized skateboards in CA :( http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21968.htm However, I wonder how strongly this is enforced...

you can however drive a motorized scooter in the same places you can ride a bike, which is a skateboard with handlebars: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/motorcycles/motorcycles.htm

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#135

Post by mynameishere »

k33n wrote: post #132
mynameishere wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

awesome Since when did obvious nuisances become "awesome". I hope that comments like this will start to be deleted I hope that comments referring to obvious nuisances as "awesome" will be deleted. Here's the problem, as no one has quite caught on yet: The public transport areas consist of two main areas: Those for street-legal vehicles (cars, motorbikes, bicycles) and pedestrians (walkers, wheelchairs, baby carriages…

At the risk of feeding the trolls, I'll bite. Who is this "obvious" to? Clearly not you, since you think it's a horrible idea. Electronic skateboards have been around for quite awhile, and until now, they've been very heavy and mostly impractical. Yet, they are a viable product in the market and popular enough that people are making money selling them. One of the reasons this product is a leap forward is because it's…

Simply stating that there is no place for this product on the sidewalk

I'm not "simply stating" anything. Most municipalities have ordinances against powered vehicles on sidewalks. It's simple. It's straightforward. It's sensible. It's correct. I'm talking law and you're talking this guy's a troll.

No. Please, please, please learn basic internet lingo before you abuse it. Please?

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#136

Post by mrb »

johnyzee wrote: post #49

I have been riding an electric skateboard through Copenhagen for a few years (Evo 600: http://en.evo-skate.com/street600wood/ ). We have great bicycle tracks all over the city which is ideal. The principle of the board is the same, board strapped with an electric motor, controlled by IR remote in the hand. I'll share a few thoughts. First off, my board has a 600 watt motor and does around 20mph, which is fast in the…

I doubt it is an IR remote. Infrared is too directional. Virtually all wireless electric skateboard remotes use RF, typically in the 10-100 MHz range. My electric skateboard remote even has little aluminum pads on the handle in order to use the rider's skin/body as an antenna (!)

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#137

Post by Harkins »

rnernento wrote: post #42

These are cool and I desperately want one but the price point doesn't seem reasonable for what it does. Also, why do they keep showing people walking their boards up stairs in the video, seems counter-intuitive.

I think they're trying to show that it's easy to cart around at either end of a commute.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#138

Post by wheels »

dreeves wrote: post #89
jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

With the caveat that I'm not a skateboarder (I inline-skate), I don't think your assessment of the braking is right. As the brakes engage you shift your center of gravity back and you end up with, I reckon, even more stopping power than a bike, since you have more rubber-to-road surface area. The same applies to the "tiny rock pitches you forward" argument, which I can speak to from experience. On inline skates I can…

> If something in the road catches you by surprise that's another story.

One major problem there: sidewalk construction isn't sign-posted. I ended up in the hospital because a two foot section of the sidewalk on my work-route had been replaced by sand. That was long enough for my roller-blades to stop and my face to keep going, neatly landing a couple feet after the concrete picked back up.

After four broken bones and a dozen or so stitches from roller blading and cycling accidents, I've decided to stick to walking and public transit.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#139

Post by firefoxman1 »

technosex wrote: post #127
firefoxman1 wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's my guess. You just plant one foot on the back, lean backward and Scraaape you're stopped.

There is no tail on this longboard, so that is impossible.

That's true for this board, but I was responding to the general statement:

> It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#140

Post by prawn »

mertd wrote: post #123
jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

There is another issue that everyone missed. These things will most definitely be used on bike lanes. Any cyclist who had to share a lane with a longboarder knows that this feat is impossible. Longboard takes up the entire lane due to the salmon-like movement pattern. This forces the cyclist to go into the regular lane. Not that it is illegal, but frequent merging in and out of regular lanes is always dangerous.

On a powered longboard, they've said that the swerving won't be necessary.
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