Redundancy/Failsafe: Still no solution?

[RooMiniPro]

A year ago, or maybe longer, I started a thread in which we discussed redundancy ideas, ie. mechanical or electrical devices that could keep us upright in the event of a power system failure.  Nothing really practical was determined.  Today I see EUCs are being built to be increasingly larger, increasingly faster and to have much more range.  Many of you ride on public roads in and out of traffic.  But I still don't see any evidence that the face-plant risk has been addressed by way of a failsafe mechanism.  We are still at the mercy of the onboard computer, batteries and electrical components on every ride, trusting and hoping that one of the scores of components won't fail.  I think in time, every wheel will eventually fail and cut out unexpectedly.  

I enjoyed a decade of electric skateboard riding without an electrical failure causing me injury because 4 wheels provide exceptional protection in the event of a power failure and the board just comes to a stop.  EUCs are so much more enjoyable, comfortable and practical as a mode of transport for me.  But the constant fear of it cutting out makes me feel that in a few years I will probably retire from EUCs before I acquire some permanent injuries or death when the power system fails, unless the safety can be improved in that time. 

I know some of you work in the EUC business and some of you are engineers that work in somewhat related fields.  The OneWheel has a couple of options that help slightly in the event of a cut-out, such as 'Fangs' or additional wheels/sliders out in front that at least give the rider a chance to stay upright when the power goes, until they can jump off safely.  Is there any progress being made at finding a fail safe solution for EUCs? 

[Wonderwebb]

I'm new to euc and am surprised no one has come up with something  yet . I keep thinking of a magnetic  catch that would hold two small casters one front one back that would deploy under power loss much like a fire door magnetic  release.   Can you point me to the old thread so I can see what you came up with ?

[RooMiniPro]

3 hours ago, Wonderwebb said:

I'm new to euc and am surprised no one has come up with something  yet . I keep thinking of a magnetic  catch that would hold two small casters one front one back that would deploy under power loss much like a fire door magnetic  release.   Can you point me to the old thread so I can see what you came up with ?

That's one of them.  There was another where we discussed having a little wheel in front.  I think I photoshopped a concept.  If I find that thread I'll link it. 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2019 by RooMiniPro

[RooMiniPro]

Here it is:

 

[LanghamP]

25 minutes ago, RooMiniPro said:

Here it is:

 

This taken to another logical conclusion.

I'm joking but not really joking, because due to past crashes ala @Hunka Hunka Burning Love I've dramatically reduced my EUC mileage. I very rarely ride my EUC for pleasure, and use it strictly for low-speed short-range practical transportation.

I will point out that the EUC is incomparably more compact than my bicycles, of course stating the obvious, and so the EUC is incredibly practical.

Edited June 22, 2019 by LanghamP

[RooMiniPro]

I do love a nice, minimalistic e-bike.  That's a particularly nice example of one.  I converted a mountain bike and a street cruiser to electric a few years ago.  But they were far from being 'throw them in the back of the car beside the groceries' devices.  Yes, the tiny size and weight of EUCs make them so practical, considering how far they can take us, and how quickly. 

I have not yet had a fall.  I guess I have been lucky, after riding these self balancing things for 2 years as my most often used form of transport in my locale.  My EUC has enabled me to cut down how often I use the car quite dramatically in the warmer months.   But damn, one battery failure, mosfet failure or software bug could put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.  There must be a way to prevent this.  I remain hopeful that one of us, or someone much smarter can think up a solution within 5 years.  I feel like I'm on a ticking time bomb when I ride at any speed greater than a light jog.  I see plenty of people on this forum wreck themselves and I'm hoping not to add to the statistics.  Now that I have upgraded my wheel to 30kph and often ride at around 25kph, I know a cut out is going to hurt a lot and may leave me unable to do a lot of important things I need to do.          

Edited June 23, 2019 by RooMiniPro

[LanghamP]

23 hours ago, RooMiniPro said:

My EUC has enabled me to cut down how often I use the car quite dramatically in the warmer months.   But damn, one battery failure, mosfet failure or software bug could put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.  There must be a way to prevent this.  I remain hopeful that one of us, or someone much smarter can think up a solution within 5 years.  I feel like I'm on a ticking time bomb when I ride at any speed greater than a light jog.  I see plenty of people on this forum wreck themselves and I'm hoping not to add to the statistics.  Now that I have upgraded my wheel to 30kph and often ride at around 25kph, I know a cut out is going to hurt a lot and may leave me unable to do a lot of important things I need to do. 

I don't want to agree with you, but all evidence is your perception of EUCs is exactly correct. I don't think there's a single other forum member who thinks otherwise.

Perhaps only buying the most powerful wheels from Kingsing, limiting yourself to 16 mph, taking a bicycle on the longer rides instead of an EUC, never ever ride down unfamiliar areas, and so on, will reduce but never eliminate crashes.

[mrelwood]

 

On 6/22/2019 at 12:20 AM, RooMiniPro said:

 I think in time, every wheel will eventually fail and cut out unexpectedly.

I’m not so sure about this. Many issues that the EUC may develop, have clear warning signs before cutting out during a ride. Charging issues, decreased range, wheel not powering up normally, etc. Even @EUC GUY’s test where he pushed an actual car around for 6 minutes with the 100V MSX, the wheel started sounding like a drill, enabling him to stop gracefully when the motor wires melted.

I have ridden my 16S for more than 9000km. During that time it has developed a dead battery cell twice, and snapped a bolt that holds the pedal bracket to the axle. Admittedly, my friend unfortunately over-leaned the wheel despite knowing about a battery issue, but none of the three events have caused the wheel to fail without clear warning signs.

 

On 6/22/2019 at 12:20 AM, RooMiniPro said:

But the constant fear of it cutting out makes me feel that in a few years I will probably retire from EUCs before I acquire some permanent injuries or death when the power system fails, unless the safety can be improved in that time.

While not through actual redundancy, general wheel safety has already been improved a lot during the last few years: larger battery capacity, more parallel battery blocks, more headroom in top speed and power, thicker wiring, thicker axles, larger Mosfets, etc. If one buys a new wheel with a good track record, the risk of a sudden cut-out due to wheel failure is extremely small. Take the MSX for example, it is one of the most popular wheels at the moment, yet I haven’t seen one single case of a sudden technical failure that would’ve caused the rider to crash.

Yes, everyone takes calculated risks every time we start riding. But a sudden wheel failure is no longer at the top of the list.