ZBoard - The Weight-Sensing Electric Skateboard

CES 2013 in Review

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted January 15, 2013 in Behind the Scenes, Booth, CES, Pictures, Show, Startup America, Update, ZBoard

We had an incredible time at the Consumer Electronics Show last week in Las Vegas, check out some of the highlights of our trip:

Media:

"Effort-Free Transportation"	"Inventive Transportation Technology"	"A great alternative to a car"
"It changed my life"	"One of the Best Gadgets of CES 2013"	"Holy Crap Fun!"

Videos:

ZBoard section begins at 18:55.

From my phone:

Pictures:

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Shipping Schedule, Pro Batteries, Soft Bushings, New Media, Contests and More

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted December 09, 2012 in Behind the Scenes, Contests, FedEx, Manufacturing, Pro Batteries, Video, ZBoard

Dear ZBoard Community,

We've had an extremely busy past month. Check out what we've been up to in the video below:

Shipping Schedule

Our current goal is to deliver all Kickstarter orders (and website orders made before April 2nd, the day Kickstarter ended) in late December / early January. Orders made after that will be shipped in order of purchase according to the projected schedule below.

This schedule is an estimate, and is subject to change.

Handle Grips

After some in-house prototyping, we determined that the handle covers we were making were taking too much time and not of satisfactory quality, so we decided to contract the work out to a sew shop. Our handles are a mix of vinyl, Velcro, and foam and really make the ZBoard more comfortable to hold. If you've already received your ZBoard and did not receive a handle, they’re available for free on our website here, just pay $5 for shipping.

You do not have to check out with your account, you can check out as a guest if you'd like.

Note: If you purchase a shirt as well, we'll toss it in with your handle and you'll still only pay $5 shipping (+$20 for the shirt).

Pro Batteries

Our Pro batteries arrived at our shop last month on 8 pallets.

Soft Bushings

Every ZBoard is shipped with firm bushings (green) installed. A set of soft bushings (yellow / orange) is included in with every ZBoard along with installation directions.

Confirming Addresses

We've sent many of you emails to confirm their address by making a profile on our website. This step is required before we can ship you ZBoard so please follow the directions in the email to prevent any further shipment delays.

Every shipment requires an adult signature. If you'd like, you can call FedEx with your tracking number (which will be emailed to you upon shipment) and have them hold your ZBoard at your local FedEx Office.

Note: If you input your work address, we'll save a few bucks on shipping and in some cases it may make it easier to receive the board on a weekday.

Note: We will send you this email approximately 4 weeks before your shipment. Please refrain from sending us messages wondering whether this email has been sent yet.

Recent Media

We spent a day last month in Manhattan Beach with AOL Translogic crew who got some of the best ZBoard footage we’ve ever seen. Check out their video review:

Photo Contest

We want to see your photos! Currently we’re running a photo of the month contest through our website and facebook and its no too late to enter. Enter now by uploading your photo to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the @ZBoard tag, or emailing it in to pics@myzboard.com.

We will select the photos and all voting will occur on our facebook page. Winner gets a ZBoard Shirt in the color and size of their choice.

Note: Tag both #zboard and @zboard on Instagram

Guidelines:

Pictures with a 4x3 (horizontal) or square aspect ratio and web quality are preferred
If actively riding the ZBoard, rider must be wearing a helmet to qualify

User Videos

We’ve made a YouTube Playlist of all of the user ZBoard Videos we’ve seen uploaded. Check them out. Also, we’ll be running a video contest soon, so watch our facebook page for updates on that.

Reducing Rattling

We've had some emails regarding a rattling noise coming from the rear truck during riding. Click here to figure out how to eliminate it.

Babson Survey

We've been working with our Babson Business Team and together came up with a survey that many of you may have received recently. This will be a one time thing.

Thanks again for your continued support!

Regards,
Ben and Geoff

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Shipping Has Begun!

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted November 04, 2012 in Behind the Scenes, FedEx, Manufacturing, Shipping, Video, ZBoard

Dear ZBoard Community,

Shipping has begun! Check out the video below for our latest updates.

Additional Features:

Though we didn't intend for it to be a surprise, many customers were stoked to find out that their ZBoard runs in reverse as well. Apparently we did not publicize that the ZBoard now has a speed limited reverse function. If you are stopped, put your weight on the rear footpad and you will move backwards.

Early Customer Reviews:

We've heard some great things about the ZBoards that have shipped, including:

"It has been well worth the wait. I love it." - T.P., Tampa, FL

"It's great I love it and wherever I go people don't know how the hell I'm flying so fast... Thanks so much for this board it's really my favorite thing ever." - J.B., Brooklyn, NY

"Thanks to you and your team for making a dream come true. Ever since the first time I saw Endless Summer I have wanted to surf a forever wave; and with your board I have achieved that. It is so amazing to effortlessly glide up and down the streets, I even love riding in a switch stance." -R.E., Artesia, CA

Shipping FAQ:

When will I get my board? Once we determine how quickly we can build boards with our increased staff, we’ll be announcing delivery schedules. We’ve wanted to do this for a long time now but didn’t want to release anything inaccurate. Once we feel we have an accurate projection for your ZBoard’s shipping date, we’ll let you know.

How will my board arrive? Domestically, your ZBoard will arrive via FedEx. We will send you the tracking number when it ships and delivery will require a signature. If you’d like to pick it up at your local FedEx location, you can call their hotline with your tracking number to do so.

For international customers, many still need to pay their shipping fees. We’ll be contacting you via email on how to properly add shipping to your order.

What if I want to change my address? Feel free to email us now but we confirm every address before we ship so you’ll know your ZBoard is going to the correct location.

Upcoming Media:

Later in November the ZBoard will be featured on Discovery Channel's program "Tech Toys 360." It will include lots of never-before-seen pictures and videos of the ZBoard's 3+ years of development, including footage from way before Kickstarter. Below is a quick teaser for the show. We'll announce on Facebook and Twitter when the show is scheduled to air.

Recent Pictures From Manufacturing:

As always, thanks for your continued support. Without you there would be no ZBoard.

Regards,

The ZBoard Team

info@intuitivemotion.com

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Shipping Has Begun! - Preview

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted October 22, 2012 in Behind the Scenes, Delivery, Manufacturing, Shipping, ZBoard

We've had a busy few weeks that we wanted to update you all on. We'll put out a full post with a video soon but consider this a preview until then.

Shipping Has Begun!

Last week we shipped out the first 50 ZBoards to customers across the United States. Domestic shipping is via FedEx and will require a signature before drop-off. We've built an address database through our website and we will be asking each customer individually to confirm your address before your board ships.

Delivery Schedules are Forming

We are planning to increase the size and speed of ZBoard batches moving forward. When we have an accurate idea of when your ZBoard wil be completed, we'll email you the expected delivery date and to confirm your shipping address.

Pro Batteries

We expect our Pro batteries to arrive in Long Beach later this month, with a brief period in HAZMAT customs to follow before they are delivered to our facility.

We've Won A Contest - Thanks for Voting! - Tune In for the Webcast

As we posted on our Facebook and Kickstarter walls last week, we submitted a 2 minute video pitch to the Babson - Startup America - Daymond John Consulting Services Contest. With your votes and approval from the judging panel, we won! Check out more information on the contest here and tune in to the webcast on Tuesday, October 23rd at 11:00AM, which will be seen here.

We see this as an incredible opportunity for both our business (as we'll have a student team consulting with us over the next few weeks) and for our customers (as this team will allow us to build ZBoards faster and better than ever).

Pictures

Check back again soon for the full update and thanks as always for your continued support.

Regards,
Ben

benf@intuitivemotion.com

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Arrival and Assembly of Trucks, Wheels, Motors, Footpads and More

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted September 24, 2012 in Batteries, Battery Box, Deck, Footpads, Kickstarter, Manufacturing, Shipping, Video, ZBoard

Dear ZBoard Community,

We’ve had a busy month full of receiving shipments, building trucks, wiring up footpads, and more. Check out the video below to get an idea of our latest progress.

We’ve begun contacting the first 50* orders with the option described in the last update and we’ve enjoyed the excited and encouraging responses we’ve received. As you can see in the video, once we wire up the ZBoard’s electrical components, those first 50 will be ready to go. We hope to begin shipping those next week.

Once those are shipped we are going to continue to build ZBoards as we await the arrival of our lithium ion ZBoard Pro batteries in October. Due to the heavy regulations surrounding lithium ion batteries, we’ve been told to expect a delay of anywhere between 3 and 30 days in US customs once they arrive. But since we made a significant and thorough effort to ensure we had all the correct paperwork completed before our materials left Asia, our fingers are crossed that our batteries will spend the minimum amount of time in customs.

We'll be spending the upcoming weeks building/shipping ZBoard Classics and building ZBoard Pros sans batteries. Since over 90% of the assembly of the ZBoard Pro will be completed before lithium ion batteries arrive, we expect to to be able to ship at least 100 ZBoard Pros per week once the batteries are in-house.

We will be building ZBoards in batches of 50. When we begin a batch we will contact all ZBoard Pro pre-orders in that batch and offer them the Classic now, Pro batteries later option.

Regards,

Ben

benf@intuitivemotion.com

PS - Since we are in the shop (and not at our computers) basically all day everyday, please be patient for responses. Also, its far less likely that your query will fall through the cracks if you email us rather than send us a message over kickstarter, facebook, or twitter.

*The Classic batteries now, Pro batteries later option do not apply to international Pro orders as regulations restrict us from begin able to ship the ZBoard Pro battery on its own at a later date.

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Decks, Speed Controllers, Hardware and Hill Climbing

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted August 23, 2012 in Batteries, Behind the Scenes, Deck, Manufacturing, Video, ZBoard

Dear ZBoard Community,

The below video discusses our past 2 weeks full of designing, ordering and receiving parts. The design process is now totally complete and we are only waiting on the arrival of certain components to begin shipping. Some of these design tweaks took longer than expected, meaning initial shipping has been shifted back slightly, but we're doing everything we can to expedite the process. More details on that after the video.

Without any more unexpected delays, we expect Pro batteries to arrive at the end of September. We are determined to not let this dramatically affect our delivery schedule though and have decided on the following: In mid-September we will be contacting the first 50-100 orders with the following options:

1) If you ordered a ZBoard Pro, you can receive your ZBoard with Classic batteries immediately and have your Pro battery shipped to you separately when it arrives. When we ship you your Pro battery, you will be responsible for installing it, or you can ship your entire board back to us at your cost. We will be publishing a step-by-step video detailing the installation process, which will take 10-15 minutes for someone familiar with using basic tools. Your Pro battery will come with all tools required to make this switch.

2) Wait until we receive Pro batteries to receive your fully assembled ZBoard Pro. You won’t have to worry about any installation.

Note: If you ordered a Classic you’ll receive an email alerting you of your shipment.

We will be contacting everyone in these first 50-100 orders by email so please refrain from asking us if you are in this first group. Pro orders outside the first group will begin shipping in when Pro batteries arrive.

As always, thanks again for your continued support. Without you there is no ZBoard and we can’t wait to begin shipping.

Regards,

Ben

benf@intuitivemotion.com

PS - The reason this update is coming out so late in the month is due to the fact that we were hoping to include the arrival of our shipment of trucks, wheels, motors, motor mounts, belts and belt covers. That shipment has arrived in Oakland and we expect it to be here next week (we’ll be posting pictures to our Twitter). It has been slightly delayed in customs as the container got selected for a “random” x-ray scan for drugs and violent paraphernalia. We thought this was just unlucky until our shipping agent informed us that customs always does this for the initial shipment by a new account - good to know.

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T-Shirts Now Available

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted August 06, 2012 in Shirts, Swag, ZBoard

ZBoard T-Shirts, or as "Z-Shirts" as we jokingly call them, are now available for purchase in our store. Check em out!

Shirts are $20 + $5 US S&H. International orders require $15 S&H.

Note: The grey shirts run a half size small.

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Pallets, Forklifts, Rubber, and Foam

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted August 06, 2012 in Behind the Scenes, Contests, Footpads, Manufacturing, Shipping, Video, ZBoard

Dear ZBoard Community,

We've had an exciting and busy week at our manufacturing facility which included the completion of hundreds of footpad sub-assemblies and the arrival our shipping cartons. Check out some of the week's highlights in this video:

Below are some more pictures taken at our facility this week.

Stay tuned for many more updates this month (including the upcoming arrivals of our batteries and trucks) as we plan to ship out the first ZBoards by the end of the month.

Thanks again for your continued support,

Ben and Geoff

PS - If you missed it on Facebook, we ran a contest for people to suggest the funniest ZBoard Olympic Event. "Synchronized ZBoard Archery" won the Z-Shirt Prize. More contest to come!

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ZBoard @ TechCrunch Disrupt

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted June 03, 2012 in Disrupt, Event, Film, Newsletter 4, Show, Video, ZBoard

On May 23rd we spent the day at TechCrunch Disrupt. We had a great time - check out this video of our day at the event!

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ZBoard @ the Tony Hawk Rad Science Exhibit

Share this post Twitter Facebook Tumblr Email Posted June 03, 2012 in Award, Event, Museum, Newsletter 4, Rad Science, Show, Tony Hawk, ZBoard

On Saturday we attended the opening of the Tony Hawk Rad Science Exhibit at UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science where the ZBoard is being featured as part of the evolution of skateboard technology.

The exhibit, which is much bigger than just the pictures below, is set to tour the country over the next 3 years. I highly recommend it for anyone with kids aged 14 and under as there are lots of hands-on exhibits that the attendees really seemed to enjoy. Check out the 2012 schedule here.

To mark the opening, Tony Hawk and his crew set up an awesome half pipe demo to teach the thousands of kids in attendance about the science of skateboarding.

Check out the ZBoard on display: