Lock Assist-Electric Scooter Security Design Project

This semester in my Industrial Design studio, we focused on designing solutions for crime prevention and deterrence. Our goal was to consider how a product, system, or service could be misused by a criminal, and what aspects of design should be addressed to reduce this.

The project scope I was assigned was small personal mobility vehicle theft, and I chose to focus on electric stand-on scooter theft. In this Instructable, I'll walk through my design process starting with research, and ending in a product concept.

Materials

• Paper
• Pen & Marker
• White foam core board
• X-acto knife
• 3D printer
• PLA filament

Resources

• Individuals to interview
• Electric scooter
• Bike locks
• Autodesk Fusion 360
• Ultimaker Cura

Interviews

To start off research for this project, I scheduled interviews with students on my college campus that own electric scooters, and ride them frequently. The goal of this step was to hear from the actual users of this product and learn what difficulties they have experienced. I came up with a list of interview questions that would help me understand their unique experiences and needs. Each student was using a bike lock to secure their scooter-the first was using a U-lock and the other two had cable locks. My main takeaways from these interviews were that:

1. None of the students liked having to take the locks off while riding and carry them in their backpacks.
2. None of the students were using a product meant specifically for electric scooters
3. Multiple students using cable locks on their scooters weren't securing them properly-several I saw were just looped twice around the upright bar and could easily be unwound.

Market Analysis

My next phase of research was to look at the market and see what products already existed, to look for gaps or products I could improve on. I used the internet for this step of the process, looking up any kind of bike or scooter locking systems I could find. Pictured in the image are many different kinds of locks, but all the ones to the left are meant for bikes, and while some can be used for scooters, they aren't designed specifically for them. On the far right are two stationary scooter docks, but these aren't personal products that could be brought anywhere. The only two scooter specific products in this array are the grip lock and the brake disk lock, and while both prevent the scooter from being ridden, neither prevent it from being picked up and stolen. This gave me an area of opportunity space!

Design Criteria

To conclude this stage of the design process, I framed a goal for my project, and came up with four criteria that my design would have to meet to be successful:

Goal: To provide a customized solution to securing the user’s mode of transportation.

Secure: Prevents theft, attaches lock to scooter

Specific: Made for scooters, not only a bike lock

Sturdy: Not easily broken or cut

Simple: Takes minimal time & effort to use

Sketching

Once I had clear criteria for my design to meet, I began drawing up concepts for various methods of locking. I used marker paper, micron pens and a light gray Copic marker for shading. The goal of these sketches was to be quick and simple, but clear enough to get the idea across. I first looked at scooter docks, but I decided I wanted to design an individual product, rather than a public system. My last three concepts were looking at different ways of incorporating bike locks into some kind of clamp that would go on the stem of the scooter. My reasoning was that these locks have already been well designed and are commonly used for many different kinds of transportation. Why fully redesign what already works? Instead, I wanted to add onto it and change the way they're used, rather than how they function.

I landed on a combination of the last two concepts-some kind of clamp that goes around around the scooter stem and has a loop to feed a cable lock through. Based on my interviews and further research, knew that many scooter riders use cable locks, but often improperly. This solution would help fix that problem!

Sketch Models

This is my favorite phase of the design process-when you get to practically apply your research and work with your hands! The concept I built was a clamp that fastens around the scooter’s upright bar with a loop to pass a cable lock through, padded with rubber inserts and fastened with anti-theft screws.

I got a sheet of white foam board and cut out several strips and scored the insides, cutting out notches so the strips could curve. I then rounded one end of each strip, and cut a round hole through that end. This made the loop for the lock. I used white painter's tape to hold the pieces together, and used tacks to represent screws, which would be specialty anti-theft fasteners. The first image shows my final foam model, complete with little foam board rectangles to represent rubber inserts.

CAD Model

The next step was to build a 3D model so I could work out the kinks, determine proper measurements and 3D print a refined model. I used Autodesk Fusion 360, so that I could not only create a good CAD model, but also get some lovely shiny renderings out of the deal.

I won't go through every step of the process, but for this model I started off with an extruded sketch, and used extruded cuts to make the rounded side with the holes. I then split the body in two and filleted all the edges. I built the thinner insert, which is again a simple extruded shape made to the internal diameter of the metal clamp. The thicker inserts (for scooters with smaller bar diameters) are also made to the inner diameter of the clamp, and have v-shaped cuts so they can bend properly. I then used Fusion's fasteners tool to add in two screws to the model.

I applied material finishes to all the parts-anodized aluminum for the metal, and soft touch rubber for the two inserts. I then used the scene setup tools to prepare for rendering, using cool toned lighting to get some good highlights on the metal edges. Fusion renderings tend to turn out very pretty if you set them up right, it usually takes a few tries to get the lighting right on dark objects like the rubber, but it's worth it!

3D Printing

Once my model was ready, I took the .stl file into Ultimaker Cura to slice it for 3D printing. I have a Creality Ender 3 Pro, which generally does a good job printing simple models and supports. The print took about 6 hours, after which I cleaned up the model and got to try it out on an actual scooter, with my cable lock. The last image shows the sequence of use for the product, first you attach the clamp using screws, then thread the lock through the loop and secure the lock to a pole or bike rack.

The final step in the process for this project was to collect and present my work, showing my idea progression and also considering what the next steps would be for this concept.

Interviewees

I presented it to several different groups, starting with the students I interviewed at the beginning of the design process. One of them said he thought it was a neat idea but was satisfied with the U-lock he currently used, while the others said this would be a product they'd consider buying. They appreciated the idea of not having to remove the lock from the scoter before riding. I asked if they thought the clamp needed some kind of hook on which to secure the cable lock while riding, but both said they'd rather just wrap it around the scooter bar to ensure it didn't rattle around. This helped confirm several of my design decisions.

Panel

I presented my work for a panel of several professors and design professionals, they gave me some fantastic constructive criticism. The first comment I got was on the name I'd hastily chosen for my presentation, Lock Mate. One of the panelists pointed out that a quick Google search yielded many different products by that name. Whoops, time for a name change. Based on a USPTO trademark search and a google search, Lock Assist was a much better option.

Another panelist pointed out that based on my sequence of use images, it looked like securing the clamp around the scooter would be difficult. I had to hold it shut and hold one of the screws at the same time with one hand, while using the screw driver with my other hand. He suggested some kind of click-together construction that would hold the clamp around the bar while the user's hands would be free to fasten the screws.

Both of these were excellent points that I took note of for the last step in my process.

Due to the time constraints of the semester, I wasn't able to go through another phase of design refinement, but my professor had us evaluate our projects and consider what else would need to be done before our product would be produceable. This step is very helpful for designers-in-training like myself, to not think of their first go as a finished product, and to consider all the many aspects of development and manufacturing that come after creating a good concept.

What's Next?

1. Easier Use-How can I design a solution to the problem of difficult one-handed assembly?
2. Motion testing-Can the Lock Assist stand up to the vibration and jolting of a scooter in motion?
3. Abuse Testing-Can the Lock Assist withstand the tools of a thief like bolt cutters or even a circular saw?
4. Fit Testing-Does the Lock Assist work on a variety of scooters with varying bar diameters?
5. Branding-What Color/Material/Finish and packaging would make the Lock Assist appealing to scooter owners?

These are all aspects that would be the next steps in the process for this concept, if time and resources allowed.

Reflection

At the end of the research phase of this project, I determined a project goal and criteria for my design to meet. The last step of this entire process for me was to evaluate whether or not I had met those criteria with my design.

Goal: To provide a customized solution to securing the user’s mode of transportation.

Secure: Prevents theft, attaches lock to scooter-The Lock Assist attaches a cable lock to the scooter so the user doesn't have to take it off when riding, also assists with correct locking to bike racks and poles.

Specific: Made for scooters, not only a bike lock-The Lock Assist integrates with currently used bike locks, but is made specifically for scooters.

Sturdy: Not easily broken or cut-The Lock Assist would be made from durable anodized aluminum and would be no easier to cut than a cable or U-lock.

Simple: Takes minimal time & effort to use-I think I still have room for improvement on this one. The Lock Assist certainly removes the time of putting the lock on and taking the lock off after every ride and parking, but as a panelist mentioned, the current design requires some difficult one handed screw and clamp holding. By improving the clamp with a click together function, I'd meet this aspect of the criteria.

This project was very fun and educational for me, as I got to use all the different tools I've been gathering in my design education so far, to come up with a product that works with and improves a current system. The design process can be done many ways, but this is an example of how to start with a prompt and through thorough research and prototyping, arrive at a feasible final concept.