Overview
Electric scooters pack powerful brushless hub motors (250-500W), large lithium battery packs (36V/10Ah+), and a compact folding frame into one package. Strip the deck, mount a cargo platform, and you've got a delivery robot or mobile sensor array that can carry 50+ pounds over real terrain at walking speed.
This is the heavy-duty platform build. The hub motor and battery provide more range and payload capacity than anything else in the corral. Perfect for campus delivery bots, agricultural sensor platforms, or autonomous cart systems.
What You Bring
The kit includes the motor controller, navigation electronics, and mounting hardware. You supply:
- Electric scooter — any brand with a hub motor (Xiaomi M365, Segway Ninebot, or similar — working or dead, battery and motor must function)
- Raspberry Pi 4 / 5 — runs navigation and autonomy software
- microSD card — 32GB recommended
- Cargo platform material — plywood, aluminum sheet, or plastic bin for your payload area
What's Included in the BYOB Kit
- VESC motor controller (compatible with scooter hub motors)
- Steering servo with front fork adapter
- GPS module (u-blox NEO-M8N) with antenna
- 9-DOF IMU for heading and tilt
- Ultrasonic sensor array (4x) with mounting brackets
- Emergency kill switch (wireless remote + mushroom button)
- Pre-crimped wiring harness with labeled connectors
- Complete source code, wiring diagrams, and setup documentation
What You Bring
The Full Send Kit includes all electronics and hardware. You supply:
- Electric scooter — any brand with a hub motor (Xiaomi M365, Segway Ninebot, or similar — working or dead, battery and motor must function)
- Cargo platform material — plywood, aluminum sheet, or plastic bin for your payload area
What's Included in the Full Send Kit
- Raspberry Pi 4B — pre-loaded with navigation software
- 32GB microSD card — pre-imaged with Raspberry Pi OS and kit software
- VESC motor controller (compatible with scooter hub motors)
- Steering servo with front fork adapter
- GPS module (u-blox NEO-M8N) with antenna
- 9-DOF IMU for heading and tilt
- Ultrasonic sensor array (4x) with mounting brackets
- Emergency kill switch (wireless remote + mushroom button)
- Pre-crimped wiring harness with labeled connectors
- Complete source code, wiring diagrams, and setup documentation
The Build
Strip the scooter to its essential components (frame, wheel, motor, battery), add a steering servo, mount your cargo platform, and install the navigation electronics. The VESC controller replaces the stock ESC and gives you full programmatic control of the hub motor.
Strip and Prepare the Scooter
Remove the deck, handlebars, and stock controller. Keep the frame, front fork, rear wheel with hub motor, and battery pack. The frame provides the structural backbone; everything else gets replaced or augmented.
If using a folding scooter, lock the fold mechanism permanently with bolts — you don't want it collapsing under load.
Install VESC Motor Controller
Replace the stock ESC with the VESC. Wire it to the hub motor's three phase wires and the battery. The VESC provides precise speed and torque control via UART, plus regenerative braking, current limiting, and motor temperature monitoring.
Run the VESC Tool motor detection wizard to auto-configure for your specific hub motor. This measures resistance, inductance, and flux linkage for optimal FOC (field-oriented control).
# VESC control via PyVESC
from pyvesc import VESC
motor = VESC('/dev/ttyACM0')
motor.set_rpm(500) # Gentle walking speed
motor.set_current(0) # Coast to stop
# ... full implementation in project files
Steering System
Mount the steering servo on the front fork with the adapter bracket. The servo connects to the fork's steering column via a linkage arm, providing +/- 30 degrees of steering. This converts the scooter from handlebar-steered to electronically-steered.
Build the Cargo Platform
Mount a flat platform over the scooter frame. Size it for your payload — a delivery box, sensor array, or equipment rack. Secure it with bolts through the frame's existing mounting points. Keep the center of gravity low — top-heavy platforms tip on turns.
Navigation and Autonomy
Mount the Pi, GPS, IMU, and sensor array. The navigation stack combines GPS waypoints for long-range routing with ultrasonic obstacle avoidance for local safety. The project files include waypoint following, path recording/replay, and follow-me mode using a BLE beacon.
Project Files — Included with BYOB Kit
Complete source code, wiring diagrams, and documentation. Enter your kit code to unlock.
Don't have a code? Get the kit — code included in every box.