Push assist/Endless mode, let's talk about it!

This is soooo not off topic, in fact i like this idea! Like how slalom riders fast carve to accelerate.

Also guys, this kinda stuff is outta my field, i’m just hearing your ideas out, but very interesting ideas so far.

Mine’s the best.

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Yes, and small remote. Actually are there any other remotes besides the ‘winning’ remote that is of similar size? That’s an ideal remote size for stealth actually, since it can hide in a clenched fist. But no way am i gonna use a winning remote because that’s trash

Can’t wait to see our iteration of the endless mode in the diy scene.
Have been beta tester for Mellow, the endless mode is so good to use, really practicle and you can still feel that you’ve got a “Real” skateboard under your feet. That’s just dope. If i can’t put this fonction in my diy boards it would be heaven.
But i think it’s quite hard to make, donno how Mellow manage to achieve it but i know it was a lot of work for them to make this fonction.
If someone manage to make it possible for Vesc, it would be the best add on of the year.

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As far as I understand, any change in motor speed cuts back power. Once you have nearly constant speed at the wheels ( you are standing on the board) you will get Cruise Control with a constant downramp.
What you can see in the Mellow video: There is no ROBD (Rider On Board Detection)
If you fall while pushing, the board will drive away from you and you would need to push the brakes to stop it (if you can).
Most accidents we see with skateboards in the Skate Night Berlin are regular non powered skateboards shooting to the back when the rider looses balance while pushing. Pushing a board always has the risk of a board shooting into traffic or into someone. If you ad power, it can get worse.

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how about some sort of remote built into a glove, kick push to enter endless mode, and have some tactile sensor(s) in a glove that could act as a brake and/or deadman switch.

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Actually this could be one of the solutions.

If instead of adding extra components we directly use erpm motor value in the following logic :

  • register erpm value ;
  • cruise control only on current or updated superior value with soft ramp down on throttle.
  • still need a remote or switch for brakes.

Does it makes sense?

Wouldn’t need any extra stuff except the VESC itself right?

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Thanks for the pointer @Bavioze

Here’s my approach to it:

I modified the FireFly Nano software to include an “endless” mode. Here is how that works:

  1. Enable it through the menu on the remote.
  2. Push 13 km/h+ for 2 seconds
  3. The board goes into cruise control. This means that the speed will be kept at which yoh were after pushing faster than 13 km/h for 2 seconds. E.g. the hardest you can push is your max cruise speed.
  4. The board will cruise for 20 seconds
  5. The board will go into “coasting” mode, waiting to slow down till the speed is lower than 13 km/h.
  6. You can push to activate cruise again, step 1.

While this is activated you still use your remote, telemetry and the current state “cruise”, “pushing”, “coasting” is visible. But, you can’t push thw throttle. When you brake the board disables cruise immediatly and goes into coasting and brakes as hard as you push the brakes.

Speeds and times can be adjusted ofcourse, stoppihg because of a “current spike” activated by a foot on the ground is also possible.

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What happens if you downhill for a few seconds? Does it automatically kick you in to cruise control? I’m sure your remote is the master override in that case and can still brake… Just curious.

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Nope, if you fall of the board, the board will stop after 2/3 meters

Forgot to mention; There’s a max speed setting. When you reach this max speed to board goes into ESTOP mode where brakes are gradually applied. You can set the strenght of this feature.

Edit: Remote is always the master override. When you brake on the remote, “pushing” mode can’t be engaged.

Edit 2: For me this is a police mode. Board works as normal, throttle available. When I see police I switch to endless quickly. The police here accept this and see it as an electric supported bike as you first have to do something yourself, like the electric bike.

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You could make the board slowly decrease the speed, but at the same monitor the current, if the current goes lower than the trend line it had before as it is slowing down for x amount of time the board breaks

Determining what is acceptable can be trick, I remember Vedder saying something in this lines when I suggested acceleration control, using the IMU can help to determine the grade and acceptable current values

But it’s not simple in anyway to make it safe

What could be done, is a small remote, NRFbased with two button, one to accelerate and other brake, but it would only be safe if the board is restricted in low speeds and currents since you don’t have any control over it, just on or off

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Even just a dead man, one switch button that you could hide in a ring would be perfect.

Hold it down to activate mellow mode, allowing you to push up to cruise speed.

Let go of button and it cuts cruise control and goes back to manual.

I think this is a different world of hybrid product that would be awesome.

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Hmm I could make a activation switch feature for the FireFly Nano I have here. It already has a trigger for activating the throttle. Currently does nothing in endless mode.

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I’ve done 1.5 mile rides pumping without putting a foot down. Power assisted LDP would be soooo sweeeet.

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@Linny

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For endless, it would be lovely if it could avoid wireless comms and be built into the board. I hear signal has been hit or miss with various firefly implementations.

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Yea, Guido’s build has his nunchuck wired directly to the VESC.

So technically, no dropouts!

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@LowGuido mad genius decades ahead of us.

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Oh shit he’s here! All hail.

Have you made improvements to the 2016 iteration or has it worked too well that you just stuck with it?

@LowGuido