The most popular hoverboards available on the market…well, they still use wheels. But these exciting models are designed to move as smoothly as possible so that it feels like you are actually on a hoverboard. It can be an incredibly fun experience once you have enough practice – you can check out some of the reviews of our best hoverboard suppliers to learn more about available models.
But how do these”hoverboards” work? How do they give you such a smooth ride? We took a closer look, and here’s what we found.
The Best Hoverboards Have Many Sensors
These hoverboards come with multiple sensors to give you the best riding experience. Let’s look at the sensors to see what they do and how they all work together.
- Wheel sensors: There are two tilt and speed sensors, one in each wheel. This allows the board to sense how each wheel is functioning, so it can calculate how fast the wheels should be moving when turning, and more.
- Gyroscopes: The board also has two gyroscopes. These gyroscopes help sense the angle of the board. If you’ve ever ridden one of these hoverboards, you know that tilt is how you control the board’s speed and balance.
- Infrared Sensors: These two sensors are in the front of the board and are used in detecting whether or not anyone is riding.
The Computer
Yes, these hoverboards actually have an onboard computer. They need one to manage all that data from the sensors. The computer’s job is to take all that sensor data and ultimately say, “Okay, we need this wheel to go this fast, and this wheel to go this fast.” These calculations are changing constantly based on how the board is tilting when you are riding.
This computer system is particularly important because it’s job is to simulate the feeling that you really are “hovering” by making sure the board responds to your weight as if you were floating.
The Battery
All of these other components need power to operate. Thus, the hoverboard includes a powerful rechargeable battery to power all this stuff. The size of the battery can vary from model to model, but obviously, a fully charged battery is important to the overall function of the board.
Now we come to the rider’s role: There is a pressure pad at the center of the board, where the grip for your feet waits. When someone steps on the pads, they subtly activate those infrared sensors we mentioned, blocking off the infrared light, which sends a signal to the computer that someone is riding.
There are a few different sensors on the pressure pad. This allows the computer to know exactly which way the rider is tilting, even before the gyroscopes start to pick up the change. This allows for rapid speed changes and a smoother ride.
Put it all together, and that’s how these hoverboards work! They are fun and free to ride.