E-Scooter Docks

E-Scooter Docks

Wireless charging for e-scooters.

Wireless charging for e-scooters.

Wireless charging for e-scooters.

Company/Client

White Fox Scooters

Role

Mechanical Design Intern

Timeline

Summer 2021

Skills

Mechanical Design Electronic Enclosure Design Rapid Prototyping

Tools

SolidWorks 3D Printing

Problem Statement

As COVID-19 was still prevalent in 2021, my internship's objective was to help White Fox Scooters, an e-scooter startup, transition into a contact-free, wireless riding experience. At the time, their e-scooters had to be manually charged, so I designed an adaptor that enabled wireless charging, while also locking the scooter into a dock.

Full Dashboard
Full Dashboard
Full Dashboard

Approach

In order to accomplish this, I had to design an adaptor that:

  • Retrofit onto an existing scooter stem

  • Safely housed a PCB with wireless charging Pogo pin connectors

  • Locked the scooter into the new docking stations

  • Featured a bike lock for customers to lock the scooters wherever they pleased

After analyzing the existing scooter and brainstorming, I rapidly prototyped multiple iterations with a 3D-printer farm I was managing. As my design progressed, I worked collaboratively with the Electronics team to ensure that the charging pins would work correctly and safely. Additionally, a new docking station was being developed to support these wireless efforts, enabling me learn from and work with overseas manufacturers.

Full Dashboard with Sidebar
Full Dashboard with Sidebar
Full Dashboard with Sidebar

Additional Work

In addition to the adaptor, I worked on another contact-free experience: a helmet locker. Since users had also requested helmet rentals, I designed a helmet storage and return system with sanitation disposal.

Extracted currency modules
Extracted currency modules
Extracted currency modules

Result

My exposure to working in a small startup gave me a tremendous amount of insight and ownership in engineering projects, even as an intern. Through my hands-on approach, I quickly adapted and implemented my own designs, which were selected and approved by the CEO for future use. White Fox Scooters has since been bought and merged into a new global mobility player called Today.

I'm passionate about all things design and engineering. Feel free to reach out!

© 2024 Andy Kim

I'm passionate about all things design and engineering. Feel free to reach out!

© 2024 Andy Kim

I'm passionate about all things design and engineering. Feel free to reach out!

© 2024 Andy Kim