Man Suffers Serious Injuries Due to Self-Balancing Scooter Defect

Case Overview

This case involves a male in his late 20’s who was participating in an intramural sports league in which gyroscopically-stabilized scooters were used by all participants. During one of the events, the man’s scooter lost power and stopped working while in use, which resulted in him falling and sustaining a severe injury. He later had to undergo surgery. It was claimed that the scooter should have provided some warning to the rider before shutting down due to a lack of charge.

Questions to the Mechanical Engineering expert and their responses

Please describe your engineering experience with similar products.

I am familiar with Segway, as I worked as a tire design engineer with these scooters while I was a Michelin Tire employee.

In your experience, what are some reasons a scooter may suddenly lose power and stop working?

These scooters are battery powered and may lose power because the battery is depleted. However, in this case, the unit is supposed to warn the rider. If the rider continues to use it, at a given point the unit will make itself come to a stop while still balancing. It is designed to not suddenly lose power. If the unit did indeed lose power with no warning, this is a real problem, as the stability of the machine depends on power. The manufacturer has access to a log on each machine which keeps track of the machine operation. A sudden power loss should be discoverable via this log. An electrical connection problem or battery malfunction could explain a sudden power loss.

About the expert

This highly skilled Mechanical Engineering expert is an accomplished innovator and leader with 30 years experience in analysis, design, and fabrication in global corporations. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University. He holds 9 patents related to pneumatic and non-pneumatic tires and was awarded Michelin Innovator of the Year 3 times. This expert has held several roles in the field of automotive design and manufacturing where he engineered and tested new-to-world products. He is currently the Technology Director at a tire design and manufacturing company.

E-008183

Specialties:

Mechanical Engineering