Project

2:
Boosted Boards

Kevin Wong
ENGL 149
Section 17

Table of Contents

1. Proposal...3-4

2. Progress Report......5-6

3. Recommendation Report...7-12

To:

MEMORANDUM

Sanjay Dastoor, Mechanical Engineering Bio-X Graduate Student, Co-

founder of Boosted

From:
Kevin Wong, Researcher Civil Engineering Division

Date:
October 26, 2015

Subject:
Proposal for Research on Boosted

Proposal

During the September 28th department meeting, we discussed the level of danger of
riding a Boosted Board. In response to this, I request your approval to break down
and observe the different components of a Boosted Board.

Based on this research, I will submit a recommendation report regarding potential
safety upgrades Boosted may find useful.

Statement of Problem

Electric longboards solve the ultimate problem skateboarders and longboarders
face; they provide a braking system. However, because electric longboards have
only been around for a couple years, there is still a lot of room for improvement. For
example, due to radio interference, a dead remote battery, release of the remote
trigger, downhill overcharging of a full battery, or other factors, your board can lose
power and brakes at any moment. This is dangerous especially in densely populated
and hilly areas such as San Francisco.

Scope of Proposed Study

My study will include the following:

1. A comparison of remote-to-board technology between Boosted and
competing companies
2. An outline of challenges faced by Boosted regarding connectivity issues
between the remote and board
3. An assessment of the braking system overall based off of observations and
first-hand experience
4. An observation on the improvements being currently worked

Methods and Data Sources

My primary research source will be conducted online through the Cal Poly
Kennedy Library databases and other online sources. My secondary research
source will consist of videos evaluating the board.

The main focus of the research will be to gain more knowledge of the internal,
behind-the-scenes technology of Boosted Boards. My secondary focus is to
identify areas that could potentially be improved such as the braking system,
battery life, or deck durability. I will also search for customer reviews on electric
longboards, specifically catered to Boosted Boards.

Timeline

Below is the tentative timeline that I intend to follow:

October 26:
Submit Research Proposal Memo



Research

October 27:
Research

October 28:
Outline Progress Report

October 29:
Draft Progress Report

October 30:
Finalize Progress Report

November 2:
Research

November 3:
Outline Recommendation Report

November 4:
Draft Recommendation Report

November 5:
Submit Recommendation Report draft for peer review

November 6:
Edit/Finalize Recommendation Report

November 7:
Edit final draft

November 8:
Submit final draft

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Im looking forward to discussing
project details and scope with you at your convenience.

cc:
Sanjay Dastoor, Co-founder of Boosted

MEMORANDUM

To:

Sanjay Dastoor, Mechanical Engineering Bio-X Graduate Student, Co-
founder of Boosted

From:
Kevin Wong, Researcher Civil Engineering Division

Date:
October 31, 2015

Subject:
Progress Report on Boosted Research

Work Completed

Since the approval of my proposal on October 31, Ive collected relevant sources
regarding Boosted Boards advanced technology. The following is a summary of
sources Ive gathered so far:

Primary Source Boosted Boards The Worlds Lightest Electric Vehicle

This article by the Boosted Team provides a timeline from when the project
was launched to present. Within the article, there are updates regarding the
progression of Boosted. This includes when FAQ answers, software updates,
hardware progression, delivery details, and more were first posted. Each
update consists of details provided by the Boosted Team that summarizes
the update.

Secondary Source Boosted Board Review!

This video provides insight on Boosted Boards luxurious features and
capabilities. It goes into depth on everything about the board including how
to properly use the wireless thumb remote, the brands Boosted uses, and
more. The video was posted by iTwe4kz on YouTube and provides a strong
overall evaluation of the top-of-the-line model, which carries 2000 watts of
power. This 10-minute video is a very good resource for people interested in
learning more about Boosted.

Work Remaining

In the time remaining, I will locate 4 more sources that will address the points
outlined in my proposal:

A comparison of remote-to-board technology between Boosted and
competing companies
An outline of challenges faced by Boosted regarding connectivity issues
between the remote and board

An assessment of the braking system overall based off of observations and

first-hand experience
An observation on the improvements being currently worked

I will be putting together a chart listing the pros and cons of Boosted as well as
comparisons to competing companies.

The submission timeline is as follows:

November 2: Research

November 3: Outline Recommendation Report

November 4: Draft Recommendation Report

November 5: Submit Recommendation Report draft for peer review

November 6: Edit/Finalize Recommendation Report

November 7: Edit final draft

November 8: Submit final draft

Due to time constraints and limited connections, I will be narrowing my scope of my
recommendation report to the following:

An evaluation of each component of an already-finished board
A comparison between the 3 models Boosted carries and how they compare
to competing companies
An observation on common issues still being worked on and potential ideas
for improvement

Thank you for taking the time to read my progress report. If you have any questions,
comments or concerns, please dont hesitate to reach out to me.

cc:
Sanjay Dastoor, Co-founder of Boosted

MEMORANDUM

To:

Sanjay Dastoor, Mechanical Engineering Bio-X Graduate Student, Co-
founder of Boosted

From:
Kevin Wong, Researcher Civil Engineering Division

Date:
October 30, 2015

Subject:
Recommendation Report

Following your approval of my Boosted Board research project on October 26, I was
able to gather recent reviews that overall gave me a wide spectrum of opinions
regarding Boosted Boards. In the course of my research, I realized that my scope of
was too large. Originally, I proposed to observe and evaluate the production of a
Boosted Board. However, due to time and money constraints, I decided to evaluate
each component of an already-finished board.

This report displays my recent findings, including upgrades Boosted has
implemented in their products already, common issues still being worked on, and
potential ideas for improvement. Based on my findings, one thing I recommend
Boosted work on is improving their boards distance radius. Competing companies
such as Marbel sell electric longboards with up to 24 miles of range, while Boosted
sells boards with up to 7 miles of range.

Connectivity Issues

Boosted uses wireless remotes to control the board. Using Bluetooth technology,
connectivity issues arise. The board can lose power at any time due to radio
interference, a dead remote battery, unintentional release of the remote trigger,
downhill overcharging of a full battery, or other factors. Another issue Boosted faced
was that a criminal could use specialized jamming equipment and a laptop to hijack
and control a Boosted Boards acceleration and braking. Working extended hours
closely with security researchers, they were able to develop a solution. The new
firmware version adds Bluetooth encryption to prevent this exploit from working.
However, this shows that there are many factors that Boosted needs to take into
consideration.

Braking System

The author3 provides insight on his experience with riding his Boosted Board in San
Francisco. In order to maintain safety in such a hilly city, Boosted Boards are
equipped with very efficient braking systems. This unique type of braking system is
known as regenerative braking, which recharges the batteries when applying

brakes. Any time an external force is greater and/or opposite to the force delivered
by the motor, the battery is charging. This ultimately provides the board with
power. This occurs when the trigger is engaged and the throttle is in reverse
(braking).

Why Boosted?

Figure 1

According to The World According to Cole1, Marbel seems to come out on top in
most categories. Marbels boards even cost $100 less than Boosted Boards top
model. However, one of the most significant drawbacks for Marbel is that its a
single wheel rear drive. Boosted Boards dual rear brushless motors, or
synchronous motors, produce more power/torque, which is especially noticeable
when climbing hills. In addition, Marbels one wheel drive provides less stability
during carving, or turning. The rigidity of the board is also a negative compared to
the flexible board Boosted consists of. Boosted Boards are made of 100% flexible
bamboo, providing a smooth riding experience. The Boosted Boards are the real
deal, as theyve been producing their products for over 3 years now and are much
more of a proven entity. Meanwhile, Marbel is currently in its first production run
and there isnt much independent data that proves itself better than Boosted.


Breakdown of a Boosted Board

Boosted- The Ultimate Electric Skateboard2 provides a breakdown of their top-of-
the-line model. People underestimate how complex this board really is, so I decided
to provide a diagram locating key components of the board.

Figure 2


Improvements for the Future

Boosted has been and is

looking forward to making
improvements in the near
future. For example, they
just released a version of
their app for Android in July
2015.

The image on the left shows
the layout of Boosted
Boards current iPhone app.
Boosted also recently came
out with the Single model,
which costs $999. This
board gives customers the
option to purchase a
cheaper, lighter board.
However, the most efficient
improvement is their motor
control system for wireless
software updates. Boosted
provides customers who
already own their product
with free updates that they
can download from
Boosteds website.

Some updates include an
increase in power, speed,
and braking. You can fix
bugs, improve reliability,
and even add new features
to your board.

Lastly, Boosted designed
their system to handle
system errors. If an update
is interrupted, the board will
reset and allow you to try
again instead of bricking, or
becoming completely unable
to function, just like an
iPhone or Tesla Model S.

Figure 3

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Potential Improvements

Water Resistance

Competing companies, such as Marbel, encase the battery cells and other
vital electronics to provide water resistance. This can be useful especially
when riding in the rain. The last thing you want is your $1,500 board to be
damaged due to water.

Battery Life

Boosteds top model provides a range up to 7 miles and consists of 2000W,
the amount of power the board provides. This may seem like a lot, but
Marbels top model has a range of up to 16 miles. Due to the lightweight
design and powerful motor, the Marbel can reach speeds up to 25 mph.
Boosteds next model should be the lightest, fastest board compared to their
other models so that it could keep up with the competition.

Poor Durability

Boosted consists of key components with a plastic cover on the bottom of the
board. Ultimately, this makes the board vulnerable to elements and bumps in
the road. This is critical because the most expensive parts of the board are
located inside the plastic covers. A simple speed bump can be enough to
damage your board.

Recommendation

My findings thus far have shown that Boosted can easily make their boards water
resistant. Encasing vital electronics that will allow riders to cruise through puddles
without having the board malfunction will be a great improvement. Also, Boosted
should look into increasing the range on their boards. With Marbel providing up to
16 miles of range, Boosted falls short, providing only 7 miles of range.

Planning for these improvements will require further research into components that
will overall upgrade Boosteds electric boards.

Thank you for taking the time to look over my research. Please feel free to contact
me with any further questions or concerns about my topics or findings.

cc: Sanjay Dastoor, Co-founder of Boosted

Table of Figures

Figure 2: Breakdown of a Boosted Board3
Figure 3: Boosted App..4

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End Notesi

1 "The World According to Cole." The World According to Cole. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov.
2015.
2 "Boosted - The Ultimate Electric Skateboard." Boosted Boards. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov.
2015.
3
Bradshaw, T. (2015, Jul 24). Boosted board dual+ electric skateboard commute thrills, but
dodge the derision. Financial TimesRetrieved from
http://ezproxy.lib.calpoly.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1706131747?a
ccountid=10362

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