Project 03 — Mechanism · 2023

Kick

foldable scooter

Kick folds. A foldable scooter built from scratch during my third year of university. The mechanism is the entire project: a hinge that lets the deck collapse onto the column, designed to handle different terrains while staying small enough to carry. Welded, painted, and assembled hands-on with direct involvement at every stage.

Built unit · 2023
Year2023
DisciplineMechanism · Mobility
MaterialsRecycled steel base · Welded frame
MethodHands-on welding · Multi-supplier coordination
ContextThird-year project · Still in use
Folded · ready to carry
— The mechanism

One hinge, two states.

The folding pivots on a single point at the base of the column. Scroll to see the transition.

Folding video
Open
Folded
— Process

Welding, painting, and figuring out a headset from scratch.

01
01 · Sketch / 2023

First explorations of the folding geometry. The challenge wasn't the deck or the wheels, it was finding a hinge that locks and releases without play.

02
02 · Headset study / 2023

Understanding how a real headset works was a project in itself. Bearings, races, tolerances. Reverse-engineered before designing my own.

03
03 · Welding / 2023

Direct involvement in the welding process to keep the geometry accurate. Working with the supplier wasn't enough, the joints had to be checked piece by piece.

04
04 · Painting / 2023

Final finish, also done hands-on to control the result.

05
05 · Assembled / 2023

First complete unit. Still in use.

— Exploration

A 3D-printed accessory, held by magnets.

A small side study: a printed accessory designed around magnetic inserts. Flexible material on the inside, rigid shell outside, attached to the frame through embedded magnets. Less a feature than a morphological exercise, exploring how 3D printing and magnetic fixings can replace traditional hardware on a vehicle.

3D-printed shell · magnetic inserts · 2023
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Saturn