The Nike Cruiser Board Study Seeks to Reinvent the Future of Urban Mobility

Before you go off the rails about where you can buy the Nike Cruiser Board you see, take a step back and let the awful truth hit; this is only a rendering of someone's dream and cannot be enjoyed except visually. That someone is Jaehyuk Lim, an industrial designer from South Korea; you know, the cool Korea that makes your Samsung smart phone. Sadly, Nike has nothing to do with this project; the name is used just for show.

The idea behind this board is so simple that the designer didn’t even bother to include specs of any kind; what you see is really all you get with this one. All he presents is an ideation and a word or two about the problem this vehicle is supposed to solve.

To get a better understanding of what’s happening here, note that this is a two-part system. The first is the vehicle you see, and the second, a very special backpack meant to be a carrier and recharger for the board. But for now, the vehicle.

What I enjoy most about this design is the battery pack placement on top of the skate trucks. That does a couple of things for the EV's overall mechanics, one of which is component protection. Because the battery doesn’t hang below the baseplate of the trucks, it’s protected from possibly snagging on any debris you encounter on your ride. Sure, it’s not equipped with off-road tires, but then again, this is a city cruiser.

However, there is a downside to this lifted battery pack and base. Because the battery, and ultimately the rider, sits higher, your center of gravity does the same. This, in turn, does lead to a less stable ride and might be one of the main reasons why you haven’t seen this sort of idea being manufactured, not to mention the stress placed on a board with a 220-lb (100-kg) rider on top.

Above the battery pack, you’ll find your classic deck, but to call it classic is a definite understatement. Unlike modern skateboards that include a lifted lip on one or both ends, here you’ll see a flat deck. It may have been included as a solution to the higher center of gravity, but so far, no one knows except Mr. Lim himself. At the rear, the deck even includes a taillight meant to signal a turn or a stop.

One feature that is mentioned, albeit briefly, is the installation of sensors that can detect obstacles in your path and respond accordingly, possibly even taking over control and turning or stopping if necessary.

So, what about that backpack? Here’s where Mr. Lim’s solution really comes full circle. One of the main issues with skateboards is the ability to carry them once you’re done riding, usually under your arm. To solve this issue, the designer included an overly large backpack, also Nike-branded, in which you can store the board when not in use. Just place the trinket into the designated area and secure it with a couple of straps. Another process that takes place here in the backpack is the recharging of the EV. Although, information is limited once again, and only these images are available to feed your imagination.

One thing is for sure, if technology reaches this sort of level in the next couple of years, and you can recharge your e-board right from your backpack, be sure to see more than just Nike in on the action.