Onewheel
Onewheel is a self-balancing single wheel electric board-sport, recreational personal transporter, often described as an electric skateboard. Unlike the electric unicycle, the rider's feet (and body) are typically pointed at a perpendicular angle to the wheel and direction of travel. History. The Onewheel was invented by Future Motion Inc. founder and CEO Kyle Dorksen. Doerksen holds two engineering degrees from Stanford University, including a master's degree in mechanical engineering. In 2013, he left his job at IDEO and started Future Motion Inc. in Santa Cruz. He launched Onewheel on Kickstarter on January 6, 2014; the  Kickstarter exceeded its campaign goal of $100,000 and reached over $630,000 by January 27, 2014. The original Onewheel was released in 2015. It was followed by the Onewheel+ in 2017, the Onewheel+ XR in 2018, and the Onewheel Pint in 2019. Future Motion Inc. was first headquartered in Mountain View, California. In 2015 the firm moved its headquarters to Santa Cruz, California and operated out of the Old Wrigley Building. The Onewheel is manufactured in Santa Cruz at a facility within the city limits; Future Motion Inc. moved there in 2018. In 2015, Onewheel held the first Race  for the Rail event. During the event riders race each other on mountain bike trails, competing for a cash prize. In 2020, the event was held at a Utah ski resort, but the exact location wasn’t released to the public in order to keep spectator numbers down during the coronavirus pandemic. The finals were live streamed on YouTube. Onewheel models. Previous models. The original model, Onewheel, had a range of and a top speed of . It was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 6, 2014; it has since been discontinued. The subsequent version, Onewheel+, introduced in January , 2017, had an improved range of and top speed of . It was discontinued in favor of the Onewheel+ XR. The Onewheel+ XR was discontinued in favor of the Onewheel GT, and was on sale at a $300 discount until the remaining XR inventory sold out on December 13, 2021. Active models. As of 2021, there are two models in production: Onewheel Pint with a range of and top speed of ; and Onewheel+ XR with a range of and top speed of . The Pint includes a LED light display that indicates battery status and a handle for ease of carrying . In October 2021, Onewheel announced 2 new models, the Onewheel GT, and the Onewheel Pint X. Operation. Onewheel’s single wheel contains a brushless electric motor that spins to propel riders forwards or backwards making constant small adjustments to keep riders balanced. To use the board, riders place their feet on either side of the wheel. A rider's front foot goes on top of a pressure-sensitive pad that detects when a rider is on the board; there is also a back footpad. To direct the board, riders lean slightly in the direction they want to travel. To stop , riders lift their heel off the side of the front footpad. If using the Onewheel Pint, riders can use the optional dismount system, Simplestop, by leaning back to make the board stop slowly and disengage, allowing riders to step off. The safety feature can be turned off in the Android/iOS app. The new board, Onewheel GT, will come with the new Digital Shaping 3.0 include the simplestop feature from the Pint and Pint X. Each Onewheel has three internal accelerometers and gyroscopes that continuously measure the orientation of the board in space. These monitors take readings approximately 14,000 times  per second in order to tell the motor what to do to help riders balance and move. All of the models use 'Pushback' to warn the rider that they are about to reach the maximum safe speed. Pushback gently forces the nose of the Onewheel up when riders approach unsafe speeds, alerting riders that they need to slow down. Riders are able to choose to use an app that displays battery charge and miles traveled, and regulates different modes for the rider. The app also allows riders to control other board functions to personalize how the board responds to their  riding style.