Distance Sensors on bottom

[djinn]

I don't think the sensors are necessary either. But I do agree the board should remain more or less parallel to the ground, as in every other board sport.
Haven't received my board yet, so take this all with a grain of salt. Just watching videos it's quite obvious the board staying horizontal is what limits the OW ability to handle steepish ups and downs. It's particularly obvious in skate park videos for example. Typically nose will hit the ground uphill and tail will scrape downhill. FM acknowledged it introducing elevated mode, however it's a half-baked solution: you loose in tail clearance downhill what you've gained in nose clearance uphill.
I don't believe the current behavior feels natural either: a horizontal board on a uphill shouldn't be decelerating (unless there's no more power available). On the contrary, a horizontal board going downhill should be decelerating (or trying to).

[skyman88]

@djinn

Don’t knock it until you try it. Chances are you’ll be happy and not mind the level board

[djinn]

@skyman88 I might be, but i doubt it. :)
Here's my proposal: just like leaning backward reduces speed, when the speed reduces on its own (because board is gaining potential energy ―uphill section, not because of motor action) the board should tilt backward. That would be some sort of auto-elevated mode, if you wish, triggering only when it's needed.
Similarly, just like leaning forward augments speed, when the board accelerate because it's spending potential energy (downhill section) it should tilt frontward.
Altogether this would augment nose/tail clearance only when it makes sense, leaving more room for user-control tilting.
It seems you don't like this idea. Why is that?

EDIT: Fixed potential energy.

[skyman88]

@djinn

So the board is not perfectly level in all modes except maybe Delirium, but definitely as level as you may be thinking.

This board does not rely on gravity... in physics terms, draw the free body diagram for going down hill with a single wheel in the middle and the board. The motor would be working harder because the riders CoG is no longer over the wheel/motor. The same is true for going up a hill.

So if the motor has X amount of power, the slope is just a factor in how hard he board needs to work. That’s why a peak speed you hit on flat ground isn’t possible going up hill.

[djinn]

@skyman88 You can have the CoG centered above the wheel axis whatever the board tilting angle (otherwise elevated mode would not be possible, right?). These are two orthogonal parameters.

[djinn]

@djinn Also, it's not really about tilting the board as i mentioned in order to describe what i meant, it's about changing what is considered the "neutral" angle, and what is considered "user command" (for lack of a better term). What would be changing is not the board tilt angle per se but how the boards interprets tilt angle as user command. In other words, it would only change the tilt angle reference depending on the slope you're riding. Makes sense?

[ggould]

@djinn Can't control two orthogonal parameters with only one actuator, though. With only the motor in the wheel, I don't think every possible mix of tilt and torque is possible.

[skyman88]

@djinn said in Distance Sensors on bottom:

@djinn Also, it's not really about tilting the board as i mentioned in order to describe what i meant, it's about changing what is considered the "neutral" angle, and what is considered "user command" (for lack of a better term). What would be changing is not the board tilt angle per se but how the boards interprets tilt angle as user command. In other words, it would only change the tilt angle reference depending on the slope you're riding. Makes sense?

So I agree with @ggould but was just saying for the current motor on the board, having the board tilt from ~level would only cause further limitations in speed and ability to help you balance. @djinn has your board been delivered yet?

[djinn]

@ggould Well, as long as the motor is able to generate the required torque, it should be able to tilt the board. Or have I misunderstood you?

[djinn]

@skyman88 No I haven't!
Alright guys, let's postpone this discussion until I've got experience with that thing...

[djinn]

Got my board this morning (stoked!) and went for a first ride outdoor. :)
Met that situation we're talking about on my very first ride: uphill with obstacles (roots, rocks...), can't climb it because i cannot tell the board to try harder without grinding the nose. Does not feel like the motor is out of power, only that i can't tell it to try harder because of the lack of nose clearance.
I believe i was in Cruz or Mission. Perhaps Elevated would have helped, or even Delirium if it's more sensitive to board angle...

[Gadgetrider]

@djinn Definitely try Elevated - that is what it was designed for (uphill pitches). The problem is going down on the other side - you have to switch modes to Delirium or similar as Elevated will now cause a tail drag on descending slopes. With my Andriod app taking forever to reconnect, it is not practical to switch during a ride as I have to stop, wait, etc.

[djinn]

@gadgetrider Exactly. That's why I was proposing some sort of auto-elevated mode that detects up and down hills and help level the board with the ground... :)

[groovyruvy]

@djinn don't use cruz or Sequoia, at all. They're considered to be dangerous by many of us and make hill climbing more challenging.

[polysix]

Delirium, all the time. No problem 🙂