Controlling longboard speed with a centrifugal brake

Intro to Engineering, Fall 2010

Skills
SolidWorks
Manual and CNC Mill
TRAK Mill programming

For my Intro To Engineering class at Thayer School, I worked in a team of four to develop a device to safely reduce the speed of a longboard or skateboard. The device is a centrifugal brake that attaches to the wheels of a longboard, generating smooth braking force to limit the top speed of a board. After successful bench testing, I took my longboard down a notoriously challenging hill on campus with our prototype installed. With a top speed of 15 mph, our brake reduced the max speed by over 60%. Our work on the project won us the Phillip R. Jackson Engineering Sciences Prize and our project was featured in Dartmouth Engineer magazine.

Our first prototype used sliding brake shoes

Google sketchup mockup of a pivoting brake shoe

Our presentation video of the final test of our brake: a successful run down West Wheelock Street

The brake components with a wheel attached

The brake shown pulled apart to expose the inner workings