Lean Forward to Go. Lean Back to Stop. That’s how you ride the ZBoard, the world’s first, weight-sensing electric skateboard. What do you do when you’ve got to go somewhere that is too far to walk but too close to drive? Many might say to “ride a bike” or “take a skateboard,” but bikes can be inconvenient and skateboards can be difficult to learn.  Our project gives you a better option: the ZBoard!  It’s faster and easier to ride than a skateboard, and more portable and fun than a bike. The ZBoard is the world’s first weight-sensing electric skateboard. Simply lean forward to go and lean back to stop. It’s that easy!The ZBoard’s deck includes front and rear foot pads. Each foot pad senses how much force you apply and analyzes this information with an onboard computer linked to an electric motor.

Leaning on the front foot pad causes the ZBoard to speed up.  Leaning on the back foot pad causes the ZBoard to kick in regenerative braking.  These aren’t just on/off buttons, though.  They are completely variable, meaning the harder you lean forward the faster you go, and the harder you lean back the faster you come to a stop, even on a downhill slope!  You can cruise at a walking pace, or zoom all the way up to a top speed of around 17 miles per hour. When you have no weight on either footpad, the ZBoard will coast to a gentle stop in a similar fashion to a traditional skateboard.The ZBoard includes off-road wheels and features an integrated, reinforced handle for convenient carrying, or to lock up if you can’t take it in with you. Every ZBoard ships with a charger that plugs into any standard 110V wall outlet to recharge in about 5 hours (220V chargers for European customers are also available). We offer two ZBoards – the ZBoard Classic and the ZBoard Pro. See the Specs below and on our website. The ZBoard Pro, equipped with a Lithium-Ion battery, is the fastest (17mph top speed), longest running (10 mile range/charge), and lightest weight (30 lbs) product we sell.Ben Forman is a mechanical engineer based in Hermosa Beach, California. Ben has merged his mechatronics and robotics training at the University Southern California with his love of skateboarding in the three year development of the ZBoard. Geoff Larson is a mechanical engineer from Sacramento, California.  Geoff has brought his training in Computer Aided Design and his background in business to bringing the ZBoard from concept to reality.