UCSD Robotic Skateboard Team Nelson Carpio Elizabeth Strub Hannah Walsh Tallha Ahmed Daniel Yang To email us click HERE

Objectives

The initial objective of the team was to show the basic scientific principle of conservation of energy through the creation of a robotic skateboard at a Science Outreach Event. In order to illustrate this principle, it was critical to understand what problem(s) was to be solved. For the purpose of the demonstration, dropping into a half-pipe was used an example for its similarity to a ball swinging on a pendulum. The ball loses energy as it swings from one side of its arc to the next due to friction, tension, and heat loss. During skateboarding, friction is the main culprit of loss of energy and for simplicity was taken as the main problem to be solved in the demonstration.

For a skateboarder, the problem was solved simply through an act called "pumping". "Pumping" involves tucking in of the body as the skateboarder reaches the bottom of the arc of a half-pipe and extending the body as it reaches the top of the arc. This motion was similar to tucking in and extending ones legs as he swings on a swing set and increases the speed at which the one travels up the arc of the swing set. Through this motion, in skateboarding, friction was overcome in such a way that allows the energy to be conserved and the skateboarder to continue moving up and above to catch air above the half pipe!

After the Science Outreach Event, the objective was changed to move forward and build upon the design that had been created. From that point, the team would move to allow the robot to actuate its masses automatically through use of sensors. Furthermore, the robot would be designed in order to turn 180 degrees (or more) at the top of the half-pipe.