How Does a Hoverboard Work?

Hoverboard has been in the trend for over a decade and the craze continues to go on with new models splashing out every day. However, if you wish to really understand the working of hoverboards in order to make a clear understanding of what they really are, you just need to read a lot. We know the worth of your time and have therefore presented a short yet precise version of “How does a Hoverboard Work“ to make you familiar with the proper functioning.

The reasons why it is important to have some knowledge about the working of hoverboards are plenty. First, if you are planning to buy a new one for yourself, then no dealer will be able to cheat you or make you false promises about it. If you find the self balancing scooter functioning improperly, maybe you can figure the things out. Secondly, it’s always fun to know about the techie stuffs and then start a conversation with someone with the same love for hoverboards as you. After all, knowledge is always worth being shared. Last but not the least, if you are curious to know how these self balancing scooters actually work and what’s behind their unique nature, you will definitely enjoy reading.

If only you can figure out from the name itself ‘Electric Scooters’ where ‘electric’ demonstrates that these hoverboards work on rechargeable batteries, which we will be talking about in detail in the subsequent paragraphs. Then there is the term ‘scooters’ which depicts that these self balancing electric scooters are two wheel board which is used as a personal transportation. All you need to do is step on it, maintain your balance and head towards your destination.

Key Components in Hoverboard to Work

Before we dive deeper into the insights of hoverboard’s working module, let us quickly recap on what are the key elements of it. Doing so will help you get a clear picture of the role played by each of the components in the working of the self balancing scooters.

The main components are as follows:

  • Pressure pads
  • Speed sensors
  • Batteries
  • LED lights
  • Charging port
  • A plastic shell
  • Power switch
  • Two infrared sensors
  • Electric motors
  • Control board
  • Gyroscope
  • Steel frame
  • Central pivot

Pressure Pads

The area on the top of the self balancing scooter, where the rider places his/her feet is generally known as the pressure pads. From the name itself you can infer that the region is under the pressure of your feet and hence called pressure pads. Usually people assume that there is a whole lot of circuitry beneath the pads but in reality this need not be the case. Usually there are two rubber pieces residing underneath the pads which help you to get a firm hold on the board. A soon as you step up on it, the pressure pads are pushed into these rubber pieces which triggers in turn the LED sensors. This way the electric scooters knows that its responsibility has already began and thus it starts to begin with its smart balancing features.

Speed Sensors

When you are on a hoverboard, and have already learnt more or less of riding it, you will imply love speed! Ever wondered how you are easily able to change your speed according to your needs? Just imagine you are speeding up along the street and suddenly a baby dog comes in your way and you suddenly realize this and slow down your speed. How does this mechanism work out will be explained through the work of speed sensors. The speed sensors are located inside the wheels and help trigger your speed according to the needs and requirement. The way you shift your body moves will trigger the sensors and make the magic happen.


You all know that the Li-on (lithium-ion) batteries that the hoverboards are made of are the heart of the electric scooters. We have already seen in our previous articles that ordinary/poor-quality batteries possess a threat to your safety and well-being. With the help of batteries only the hoverboard is able to move the way it does. Without them, it would be lifeless. So, to make the hoverboard function, and to experience a world class ride, you ought to have proper batteries for your electric scooters. Usually Samsung or L.G batteries work amazing when it comes to high quality tested batteries. The batteries inside your hoverboards are chargeable and thus you can refill the charge when you run short of it. There are a vast variety of batteries available in the market. The best ones are the ones which do not explode or does not face short-circuiting. Usually, the 36V 4400mAH battery packs are available in many of the hoverboards.

LED Lights

Can you guess the function of LED lights in the hoverboards? Are they just for fun purpose or something else? Well, hoverboards nowadays come with royal LED’s of different colors of your choice. These not only give an advanced look and enhance the visibility but also act as an indicator for you in the dark streets. LED lights are your safety belts.

Charging Ports

As already mentioned that the batteries you use in the hoverboard need to be charged. So, naturally there has to be a charging port for the plug in purpose.

A Plastic Shell

There a number of models of hoverboards, however, not all come with these plastic casing. Some come with metal casing while others are without any. A plastic shell is just to protect your hoverboard from the scratches and frequent hits.

Power Switch

How does a hoverboard start? Well, it’s not like you keep your feet on it and it starts automatically. Here comes the role of these power switches. The pressure pads sit on the switches and leaning forward triggers the front switch and it is turned down. Now, a little plastic “wall” slides in-between an infrared LED and an infrared sensor. The motor is still only as long as the sensors detect the light. As soon as the switch is pressed down due to your weight, the light is interrupted and the board tells the motor to spin in specific direction.

Two Infrared Sensors

These are again the sensors located in the wheels of the self balancing scooters. These signals are detected by the motherboard and processed accordingly.

Electric Motors

Electric motors are the special quality of hoverboards. Wheels are the house of electric motors and monitor the functioning of the hoverboard. There are different types and quality of motors available like the dual motors which have different effects on the hoverboards.

Control Board

Like in the computers we have CPUs, in the hoverboards we have the control board or mother board. It won’t be wrong to say that they are the brain of the self balancing electric scooters. A lot of responsibilities are taken care of by them. In most of the hoverboards, there are usually different levels for the riders including beginner, normal and experienced mode. You can easily switch from one mode to another and this task is taken care of by the control board. All the other things like the speed at which you are riding, the way you are triggering your body weight and how to act upon it, the spinning, or sloping and all other things are acted upon after consulting the control board. This way they put up the speed limit too. These are the main control houses of the self balancing electric scooters. All the signals and the current speed are taken care of by the control board. If your hoverboard is having Bluetooth speaker or inbuilt app then these features are also under the control of the control board.


There are two gyroscopes in any standard hoverboard which help fetching important information from the sensors in the wheels to feed to the mother board. This can be considered as one of the important components of the hoverboards as they are also responsible for sensing the level of ground on which you are riding. The hoverboards receive rpm, tilt and acceleration information and these are then fed into the logic board for further processing.

Steal Frame

The steel frame acts as a protection for your hoverboard and gives it a proper body. There are fancy boards in the market which get attractive looks through alluring steel frames.

Working Overview

So, now that you know about the working and functionality of various components of the hoverboard, it’s time to realize the working altogether. There is a switch on the lower side of the hoverboard, on pressing which the hoverboard will start. Mind it that it will start to move only when you set your feet over the pressure pad. The movement you make is solely dependent on how you shift your body weight and how the sensors are going to make it out and send information to the motherboard for the processing of the signals.

The smart self balancing feature helps you to travel at great speed without losing control. There are various types of hoverboards and there is just a slight difference in their functionality. Most of them follow the same principle. However, there are a class of hoverboards called the Omni hoverboards. These self balancing scooters need some upward force to push against the gravitational force which is provided by the air. Then there is another class of hoverboards called the Hendo engines which function with the help of electromagnets that produces changing magnetic fields. This change in electric field produces current in the metallic surface underneath the hoverboard. Then the magnetic field produced by these electric current repels the hoverboard electromagnets and hence make the movements.