I cannot skateboard, nor have I ever had the desire to learn. But after seeing Michael Wahba’s tech-savvy take on the pop culture classic, I might just have to throw on a helmet and elbow pads and risk it. Wahba’s invention, an electric skateboard, is an innovative step in a largely undeveloped field of enterprise. Electronic skateboards are certainly available to the public, but they’re hardly the default equipment of most skaters, and Wahba has also taken a significant step in differentiating himself from the electronic skateboard competition.
Wahba’s invention, the Hover 1 Cruze, is a step forward in the electronic skateboard industry because it doesn’t rely on a hand-held device to control acceleration. Instead, the rider uses his back foot to accelerate or deaccelerate.
Wahba was largely motivated to create his own electronic skateboard because most electronic boards suffer from an unfortunate hitch, literally, in the start-up process. As Monica Chin from Mashable.com explains:
“Most electric skateboards are remote-controlled. When I push the button to start the board, it tends to jerk abruptly into motion, because my hands are uncoordinated, and my fingers are thick and clumsy.”
The Hover 1 Cruze solves this problem by using a sensor system that the skater controls via their feet and enables them to have a much smoother, more enjoyable ride. In addition, the skateboard is equipped with a cruise control feature, meaning the board will maintain it’s speed unless you stop it manually, the way you would with a typical skateboard. Or, for the more experienced rider, “braking mode” means the rider can raise his foot off the sensor, gradually decreasing the speed of the board. Either way, the annoying and potentially dangerous “jerk” is eliminated from the process.
At just 14, we can only anticipate what other skateboard innovations we’ll see from entrepreneur Michael Wahba. And regardless of what the future holds, Wahba has made a permanent mark on the skateboard industry, one that will certainly shape innovation in the skater community for years to come.
https://mashable.com/2018/02/11/hover-one-cruze-skateboard-review/
This product seems really cool, I want to try it out! It’s crazy how young this entrepreneur is and how successful. I like how you said this type of product was already on the market but he fixed some problems it had and made his own design. This way it acts more like a vehicle than an electric toy. Very cool product and well written!