Obviously, one shows the intuitive and tendentially uncomfortable feeling evoked at the sight of or the thought of an e-board that the whole matter is not entirely harmless. If you drive only 20 km / h without a helmet and protective clothing, a fall can quickly have nasty consequences. In this respect it is first of all advisable to never use an E-Board without adequate protective clothing. Knee and elbow protectors are also highly recommended. Careful reading of the operating instructions can also prevent many accidents. 

Thus, many wheeled carriages differ in the way they react, for example, to a low battery condition.According to reports, some of them should be switched off without warning - the injuries are literally pre-programmed here is obvious. The charging and discharging process of the rechargeable battery should also be carefully studied in the operating instructions in order to prevent any damage or even fires at all costs. The clearly critical point with regard to the use of e-boards, hoverboards, mini-Segways or whatever one would like to call these companions is that they can not be driven on roads or on footpaths in Germany. 

Thus, their use is restricted solely to the private land. However, many of the advantages that the E-Board would in principle have to offer in principle can not be practiced at all. Moreover, anyone who violates the ban will be threatened with fines of at least € 50, ensuring the equipment and, in the worst case, even a driving license. So there is only the option to use the boards as a private funvehicle, and to whom the boss allows him or her to do some or other long journey through the office floor. After all, time is always money - or how was that?

As with so many novelties, experts and laymen are again arguing about the best possible designation of the newly popular, electrically driven boards with wheels. On these boards you just have to put on it, and you already float above the asphalt. Personally, of course, I would not object to the term "board with wheels", however, every half-competent marketing specialist would sneak right out of the socks. And so they train names like "Hoverboard", "E-Board", "E-Balance Board", "Self-Balance-Board" or "Mini-Segway". At the same time the name diversity is incomprehensible at the sight of all these name variations. Because up to the hoverboard (English: "To hover" = "hover"), all variations seem to indicate only one thing: a board that has something to do with electricity and with balance. 

And in fact, these curious things have nothing to do with hovering in the technical sense. It only looks as if it is not the case that these balances require independent balancing. The "mini-Segway" seems to be the most obvious, although the rolling boards, unlike the Segway, do without a steering rod. So we have cleared up a first, rough definition of these bizarre-like means of movement: E-boards are largely self-propelled, self-supporting electric wheeled bicycles on which exactly one person can move from A to B. On the other hand, the name Hoverboard is a legacy of the good old science fiction comedy "Back to the Future II", in which the protagonist Marty McFly uses a hoverboard for the first time. 

Although there have always been attempts to build the famous fictional model real, the reality has still not been close enough to the "original" to be able to speak of a fully functional, so-called hoverboard. So if the name of these self-balancing boards has been clarified, at this point every reader should ask themselves the question, how they actually work and what they have so powerful. Also, it would be interesting to know how safe these boards are and where you can legally flip about everything. In which the protagonist Marty McFly uses a hoverboard for the first time. Although there have always been attempts to build the famous fictional model real, the reality has still not been close enough to the "original" to be able to speak of a fully functional, so-called hoverboard. So if the name of these self-balancing boards has been clarified, at this point every reader should ask themselves the question, how they actually work and what they have so powerful.

In the meantime, the safety organization has certified some e-boards: The first device was the miniPRO (model number N3M320) from Ninebot respectively Segway. In the current list (as of 8.7.2016) there are other boards, including those from Razor USA - the company had just called back e-boards due to fire. US Hoverboard LLC also had a call-back for 70,000 brand-new "Powerboards" (PB-001). At the same time the "Hoverboards" (HB-001) of the company were able to obtain the UL2272 certificate.

The US agency CPSC ordered in early July in the US the recall of over 500,000 e-boards due to acute fire and explosion . The lithium-ion batteries can "overheat, develop smoke, catch fire and / or explode," warns the authority. Several models of ten brands or dealers are affected (as of 8 July 2016). Consumers should no longer use these devices, CPSC asks.

List of certified "hoverboards"

The UL security organization has a submemo mask on its website, on which the so far UL-certified e-boards are found. Users can specifically search for a specific manufacturer or enter "FKIS" as a category (UL Category Code), then a list of all manufacturers and a click on the link next to each manufacturer calls up a table with its certified models.

The recall of the CPSC makes it clear that it is by no means enough to just look for the manufacturer to identify "good" e-boards or to sort out the most dangerous ones. It is important to check whether the desired model has been certified.

When charging lithium-ion batteries, lithium ions are pumped into the anode through a separator layer, where they are trapped by micrometer-fine particles of the active material (the electrodes)

Towards the end of a charging process, the maximum voltage is at the lithium-ion battery and the current is getting less and less current. For safety reasons, the charger must adhere strictly to the maximum charging voltage. If exceeded, so-called dendrites can form which internally short-circuit the cell and free the path for unbridled electron backflush. In addition, the electrolyte can decompose at excessively high voltages, whereupon the hermetically sealed cell explodes. In addition, heavy impacts or mechanical stress due to sharp edges and sharp objects can damage the battery (more details about the lithium-ion technology in the c't article "Strom to go" ).

In the case of a faulty internal short-circuit cell, the charging current will never go as far as an intact cell. A simple charging electronics, which uses only the minimum current flow as a break-off criterion, does not recognize this - it does not switch off, but diligently pumps current into the cell. Result: The battery overheats and explodes.

A more sophisticated overload protection electronics, on the other hand, recognize that a current is continually flowing during charging, but the battery capacity does not increase. It therefore terminates the process with a warning and protects the battery before the heat loss.

It is not conclusively clarified whether there is an "original" E-Board: In patent proceedings some companies argue about who invented the technology. For example, the US company Hovertrax complains against the company IO Hawk. The alleged originals are by the way usually much more expensive than externally identical "replicas".

Traders had reported the c't under the hand that many e-boards are manufactured in a manageable number of factories in Chinese Shenzhen. The installed hardware is the same. There are differences between the motors used, the layout of the control boards and the reliability of the batteries.

Some manufacturers have stated to make special modifications to the firmware of their devices; By which their E-Board can be controlled more precisely.

The company IO Hawk attaches particular importance to the better processing of the batteries in their e-boards. Thus, the batteries are temperature-monitored, have an overcharge protection and they are screwed tightly in the board and protected by a mat from shocks.

As with the Segway, you do not control the latest hoverboards by thinking, but by moving easily in the direction you want to go. This works amazingly well. If you think "I want to roll forward", its weight automatically moves a little bit forward - the stronger the tendency, the faster the board rolls. Some boards reach up to 20 kilometers per hour. If you want to roll to the left, the body turns intuitively to the left and pushes the foot slightly more on the board - the E-Board is already going into a link curve.

If the weight changes are too fast or too heavy, the hoverboard shoots forward, backwards or sideways, and the driver lands on the ground. It therefore takes a little practice and - most importantly - sufficient space during the first driving tests.

In addition, you should always wear protective clothing in the form of wrist, elbow and knee protectors as well as a helmet. The protective clothing is available online as an inliner accessory.

The technique inside

The interior of the hoverboards does not accommodate any rocket technology: to detect the occupant sensors in the treads when the driver is leaning forward, backwards or sideways. The sensors transmit the information as a control command to the hub motors under the treads which, in turn, drive the two wheels on the side: If, for example, the vehicle is driven to the right, the left wheel must turn faster.

In addition, in every E-Board is a fat battery, usually a lithium-ion battery. This is charged via the supplied external power supply. The batteries have already in many cases e-boards and thereby whole apartments in flames. For more information, see the section "Fire Hazardous Batteries".

The electronics for evaluating the sensor data, the correct drive of the wheels and the control of flashing LEDs on the board are located on a circuit board which is also mounted under the treads.

The Lithium battery is the most modern battery in the market. To increase its service life and to prevent overheating, be sure to observe the following precautions: 1. Do not use the equipment until it has been switched on. The ideal is to stop its use as soon as it starts to fall to power. 2. Do not place your Balance Wheel to charge immediately after use. When you stop using, wait for 30 to 60 minutes to put into the power outlet. This will cool the batteries and make them ready for recharging. 3. Do not overload. When the charger states that the battery is full, unplug it from the wall outlet. This process takes from 2 to 3 hours. 4. Never leave your Balance Wheel plugged in after the charger's green light comes on. Leave it recharging only the required time indicated by the charger. 5. Keep it stored or recharged in a well-ventilated area away from sources of heat. 6. Carefully follow the above recommendations to avoid risk of overheating or collapsing the batteries.

With technology that looks even futuristic film, Balance Wheel has what's most modern in the manufacturing process. Come and have fun with us, get your Balance Wheel.

Keep children within safe driving areas. With the direct supervision of an adult. This equipment is not knock proof. Always wear a helmet and protective clothing while driving (not included).Never use in the dark. You may encounter unexpected obstacles and have an accident. 

Operate the vehicle only during the day or in a well-lit area. NEVER pull the charger through the wires. Battery damage may occur and may cause a fire. Always respect traffic signs and preferably pedestrians Children: Keep children within safe driving areas. With the direct supervision of an adult. This equipment is not knock proof. Always wear a helmet and protective clothing while driving (not included). Never use in the dark. You may encounter unexpected obstacles and have an accident. 

Operate the vehicle only during the day or in a well-lit area. NEVER pull the charger through the wires. Battery damage may occur and may cause a fire. Always respect traffic signs and preferably pedestrians Children: 

Keep children within safe driving areas. With the direct supervision of an adult. Operate the vehicle only during the day or in a well-lit area. NEVER pull the charger through the wires. Battery damage may occur and may cause a fire. Always respect traffic signs and preferably pedestrians Children: 

Keep children within safe driving areas. With the direct supervision of an adult. Operate the vehicle only during the day or in a well-lit area. NEVER pull the charger through the wires. Battery damage may occur and may cause a fire. Always respect traffic signs and preferably pedestrians Children: Keep children within safe driving areas. With the direct supervision of an adult.