Final Prototype

For the final prototype, the team decided that a “scooter stand” should be built in order to display functionality and have people interact with it the same way they would on a regular scooter. The materials used for the stand were PVC pipe and wood for the base and electronics box. Measurements were taken from an existing bird/lime scooter to ensure that our design had the same dimensions. The breadboard and electronics were connected to the housing on the front, which was held in place with clamps. Holes were drilled in the PVC pipe in order to feed the wires from the LED strips in the turn signal down to the breadboard.

The final prototype has the same functionality as the previous prototypes, but has a few cosmetic changes. A grip was constructed from medical thermoplastic, and then covered with grip tape. Building the grip out allowed the team to seamlessly connect the turn signal button to the existing outer tube. A spare outer tube was taped to the other side and wrapped with grip tape in order to make the scooter stand feel more authentic.

As mentioned before, the functionality remained the same for the final prototype. A connecting piece was created to seamlessly connect the handle/turn signal to the PVC pipe. The turn signal works the same way as previously described in round 3 prototypes. A spring is connected to the inner tube and the back end of the outer tube. The turn signal extends by pressing the same button where your middle finger would be. This lowers the lever arm, unlocks the inner tube, and extends the turn signal with LED lights. The LED lights are wired to the large button near the index finger, and pressing the button to the right displays blinking lights on the right turn signal (only developed one side). The user then pushes the turn signal back into the handlebar until the lever arm locks into place. More information on the final design and evaluation can be found in the “Final Prototype Evaluation” document.

One area for further improvement would be the button to extend the turn signal. Since electrical wires had to wired through the inside of the handlebar, this changed all the inner clearances. This caused the button to not quite push the lever arm down all the way in order to extend the inner tube. If we were to continue our progress on this project, this would be the main area of focus.