Work

Commercial Hoverboard Reverse Engineering and Repurposing for a Stabilized Platform: A Recyclable Solution for Modular Robotic Bases

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Sustainability and resource optimization have spurred interest in giving a second life to used equipment, often discarded after limited use. Within this framework, we conducted a multidisciplinary, final-year engineering project to explore the reverse engineering and repurposing of commercial hoverboards for an auto-stabilizing, modular robotic platform, with emphasis on medical applications such as transporting medication. The innovation lies in recycling hoverboards to develop a teleoperated, stabilized base that can accommodate additional modules-for instance, a multifunctional arm or a transport shelf-akin to existing commercial robots. Our methodology involves disassembling and reprogramming the hoverboard's motor controllers and sensors to maintain horizontal stability. Control is realized through the sensor fusion of accelerometer and gyroscope data, processed by a Kalman filter and implemented in a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) loop. A user-friendly Human-Machine Interface (HMI), hosted on an ESP32 microcontroller, enables remote operation and monitoring. Experimental results show that the platform autonomously balances, carries payloads, and achieves high energy efficiency, highlighting its potential as a sustainable and versatile solution in modular robotic applications.

Source: Sensors

DOI: 10.3390/s25123833

Authors: Antoine Leblanc, Lùka Tricot, Duncan Briquet, Mohamed Aziz Slama, Christophe Delebarre

Institution: INSA Hauts-de-France

Language: English

Topic: Control and Dynamics of Mobile Robots

Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137