Tech leap helps commuters make ‘the last mile’
It’s not uncommon seeing people sliding on skateboards on roads, occasionally showing off their expertise by performing fancy maneuvers. The tool is normally regarded by most people as something for fun and leisure, created only for a minority group who are enthusiastic about taking sports to the extreme and keen to come under the public spotlight.
But, Peng Yiheng sees it in a different light.
The skateboard can be a solution to the “last mile” problem in many large cities, he reckons. In the last mile of a journey in which public transport is absent, he treats it as a useful transportation tool.
That’s why he’s dedicated to upgrading products currently available in the market by developing an intelligent, electric skateboard.
His innovative device, Spectra Pro, is smart enough to “know and understand” people. With sensors installed on its surface, it can obtain a range of data concerning its user, such as his or her stance on the skateboard, feet size or pressure intensity. By analyzing all the information, the device can tell whether the user is going uphill or downhill, or making a turn. It will then adjust itself based on its master’s sports habit and help him or her make safe and comfortable movements.
For instance, if Spectra Pro identifies the person standing on it as heavyweight, it will automatically provide more power when the user is going uphill. When it detects the person is not keeping his or her feet, it will “stay still” until he’s ready to go.
For most other electric skateboard products on sale, movements like advancing, accelerating or braking can be made by a remote control device hand-held by users to manipulate the skateboard. However, safety risks crop up when the user looks down to operate the remote control on the roads, warns Peng, founder and chief executive officer of Shenzhen-based startup Walnutt.
By comparison, Spectra Pro’s body-control system allows users to deal with an emergency more naturally and flexibly, he claims.
Besides, its little stature — 49.3 centimeters in length — provides convenience for those who carry it along with them wherever they go. The duration of the device can reach 20 kilometers, with a speed of up to 25 kilometers per hour, after 90 minutes of charging.
“To more and more young people these days, the skateboard is no longer just a playing tool. It can be used for transportation. What we do is to make it safer and easier to use through technology,” says Peng.
The demand for short-haul transportation tools is growing worldwide, especially on the Chinese mainland, where urbanization is accelerating with more people moving into cities to work and live.
The global market is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 7.11 percent over the next few years, analysts at research firm TechNavio have been quoted as saying, and they expect the world’s electric skateboard market to hit $1.4 billion by 2020.
Spectra Pro was launched in July on the United States crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, where Walnutt secured $650,000.
The hardware is now being sold in overseas markets, with more than 40 percent of the sales generating from the US, 15 percent each from South Korea and Japan, and the rest from Europe, Southeast Asia and other countries and regions.
“We started with overseas markets as we see higher recognition and bigger demand there. But, the Chinese mainland market is growing very fast. We’re also cooperating with major e-commerce platforms like JD and Taobao to launch our products in the domestic market,” says Peng.
Thousands of units had been snapped up in the first few months since Spectra Pro’s debut last year. The Shenzhen entrepreneur expects sales to double this year.
A graduate of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with a master’s degree, Peng broached the idea when he was still a student.
“I used to sit in front of the computer for a long time every day. Such a sedentary lifestyle is not beneficial for health. I then thought of developing something that could encourage people to leave their desks and go out, while solving a pressing problem at the same time,” he recalls.
As a growing pool of players join the industry, intensifying competition, Peng believes the key to standing out among the crowd lies in branding.
“You need to create a brand that can steal the hearts of consumers. But, it’s not easy to achieve that. You need to have strong capability in research and development, industrial design and supply chain management. You also need to have good communication with consumers and sound after-sales services.”
He sees the market enjoying significant growth in future.
“Commuting is an important matter people care about. You can see that from the proliferation of shared bikes across the country. After that, they would want to own a more personalized tool,” Peng says. “We’re following the tendency.”
To more and more young people these days, the skateboard is no longer just a playing tool. It can be used for transportation.”
founder and chief executive officer of Shenzhen-based startup Walnutt