BoardBox — Anti-Theft Device for Personal Electric Vehicles
Background:
Our project, BoardBox, began as a way to address the reports of electric skateboard and scooter thefts across campus. Regular bike racks and typical bike locks such as cable locks and U-locks are not optimized for use with personal electric vehicles (PEVs). BoardBox also aims to resolve the safety hazard and increased congestion problems caused by students bringing their PEVs into classrooms or locking them to railings along walkways outside.
Our proposed solution to these problems is BoardBox, a locker system coupled with a mobile app that will allow students to securely store and charge their PEVs. These lockers will feature a sophisticated locking mechanism—a multi-surfaced, linear-sliding, servo-powered system—along with integrated charging through solar panels and mobile phone compatibility.
By providing a safe storage option, BoardBox will greatly lower the risk of PEV thefts across campus and increase feelings of security for PEV owners. Our system also could encourage greater use of PEVs, alleviating campus parking challenges and promoting sustainable transportation. Additionally, this project presents an opportunity for the university to enhance campus amenities while exploring potential revenue streams.
Goal and Objectives:
- Feb. 13: Preliminary design review - includes CAD models, structural decomposition, and component selection and justifications
- Feb. 17: Electrical calculations and material selection
- Feb. 21: Project website and subsystem assembly
- Feb. 26: App interface and project poster - includes final design and proposed improvements
- Feb. 28: Manufacturing of electrical and mechanical systems
- Mar. 3: Prototype completion and testing
- Mar. 10: Subsystem verifications - includes analysis, testing, and the significance of the results
- Mar 13: Proof of concept demonstration - includes presentation of completed physical prototype and timeline for next quarter
Preliminary Design Review:
Our presentation slides can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10Rf-7xuPpy77mIZFZP1L-qaij27TK78SdxMxZX5d3cE/edit?usp=sharing
Team Contacts:
- Kristen Biederstadt (kbieders@uci.edu)
- Philip Huynh (dephilih@uci.edu)
- Scott Kalaf (kalafs@uci.edu)
- Jeong Yi (yijr@uci.edu)
Sponsor Contact:
- Kaushal Patel (kaushahp@uci.edu)
