Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks

Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2018.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Winter Fox, Terran L
Other Authors: Dawn Wendell.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/119905
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author Winter Fox, Terran L
author2 Dawn Wendell.
author_facet Dawn Wendell.
Winter Fox, Terran L
author_sort Winter Fox, Terran L
collection MIT
description Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2018.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1199052019-04-12T15:35:25Z Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks Winter Fox, Terran L Dawn Wendell. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering. Mechanical Engineering. Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2018. This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 30-31). A new design for skateboard trucks has been developed and tested in an effort to reduce the uncomfortable vibration experienced when riding a skateboard. The new design interfaces with existing hardware but also features a split axle geometry which allows the left and right wheels to move independently. In order to determine whether the split axle trucks improved rider comfort, the trucks were tested on a skateboard outfitted with sensors that measure acceleration normal to the road surface. Similar measurements were taken with standard skateboard trucks to serve as a control. Multiple trials were run at each of three different test speeds over a set course. Results showed that the majority of the dominant vibration frequencies are in the range of 20-450 Hz for both truck designs. The magnitude of the peak acceleration and the arms were observed to increase faster with speed for the standard truck design, and at the highest speed of 20 km/h the split axle design was shown (with 95% certainty) to have a peak acceleration which was 96 m/s2 lower than that of the standard truck. Overall the results suggest that the new split axle design primarily improves rider comfort during localized vibration events by reducing the peak acceleration that is experienced. This effect, along with a reduction in the measured arms, become increasingly apparent at higher speeds. by Terran L. Winter Fox. S.B. 2019-01-11T15:05:16Z 2019-01-11T15:05:16Z 2018 2018 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/119905 1079909095 eng MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 31 pages application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Mechanical Engineering.
Winter Fox, Terran L
Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks
title Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks
title_full Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks
title_fullStr Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks
title_full_unstemmed Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks
title_short Design, fabrication, and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks
title_sort design fabrication and characterization of split axle skateboard trucks
topic Mechanical Engineering.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/119905
work_keys_str_mv AT winterfoxterranl designfabricationandcharacterizationofsplitaxleskateboardtrucks