May 2019

Whenever we think of shared bicycles and scooters, we usually think of rows and rows of near-identical two-wheelers parked somewhere along a street, differentiated only by their serial numbers and exterior blemishes. When it comes to riding, we expect all of them to provide the same performance and handling - after all, these are meant to be shared, right?

source: Vulcan Post

Riders do expect a certain familiarity when it comes to the controls, just as the gas pedal is on the right and the brake pedal is on the left for most cars. But... wouldn't it be better if a shared scooter could be personalized for an individual rider, based on his or her preferences, such that a ride is more intuitive and comfortable? Is that even possible for shared scooters?

At Scootbee, we set out to design a shared scooter that can be configured in different ways, based on the rider's profile and preferences. For example, throttle and brake thumb pedals can be swapped between left and right, depending on left-handed or right-handed preferences. Top speed, acceleration, and braking profiles can be adjusted, perhaps faster for those who are experienced and slower for those who are still getting used to riding. To activate the reverse mode, a rider can use a preferred sequence of presses that has been stored into the rider's profile - no more memorization of the manual, hooray!

In April, we had the valuable opportunity to partner with Singapore's Sentosa Development Corporation to showcase at the Tourism Industry Conference 2019 held in Singapore. Sentosa, a resort island south of the Singapore main island, is widely known around the world as the venue of the first Trump-Kim Summit in 2018 and a fantastic holiday destination. Many guests tried the Scootbee, including Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and their verdict? "We liked it!"