While electric skateboards are nothing new, this custom made example packing a Raspberry Pi and a brushless motor all controlled by a Nintendo Wii-mote, is worth a look.

This was a build by Matt Timmons-Brown, known online as The Raspberry Pi Guy. As the name would suggest he’s well versed in all things Pi.

The skateboard is based on top of a regular long-board style skateboard. Timmons-Brown has added a brushless motor controlled by an electronic speed controller, which is then connected to a Raspberry Pi Zero.

Two boxes under the deck of the skateboard hold the electronics and the battery. Apparently this homebrew mode of transport can reach 30 kilometres per hour and can run off the battery for 10 kilometres. Not too shabby.

The controls system is also worth mentioning as its using a Nintendo Wii-mote. Again, this isn’t the first time a gaming controller has been used to control real objects (we’ve all seen the military drones using an Xbox 360 controller) but we always get a kick out of seeing it.

The inspiration for this build was another electric skateboard made back in June of this year. This version is better looking and can reach higher speeds, but it shares all the main components including the Wii-mote control system.

[Source – Geeky Gadgets Via The Raspberry Pi Guy