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2012 Archive
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Author(s): Matthew Farrell , Damien Burbine
Presentation: poster
The caster board is a unique form of locomotion that converts lateral force into forward momentum. This complex process involves torque, rotation of wheels, and leverage – a combination of factors that will waste energy in the form of heat and friction. Our methods attempt to accurately quantify this lost energy by taking the energy put into moving the board at a constant velocity and comparing it to to the energy that is actually used to maintain this velocity. The energy put into the board is calculated by using an estimated measure of the energy of each input “kick” and the energy converted into momentum is calculated by using the average velocity and masses of caster board and rider. This calculation of efficiency is an important measure for the potential effectiveness of lateral-to-forward motion machines. Our findings suggest that caster boards are, in fact, efficient methods of transportation, and that there is much unexplored potential in this unique form of locomotion.
The College of Idaho 2112 Cleveland Blvd Caldwell, ID 8360 USA 208-459-5011 800-2C-IDAHO