---
title: "Wheebo"
description: "Wheebo (Yanmar, 2016/17): A round jet-powered platform that novices steer by shifting their body weight"
url: "https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/wheebo-2016-17/"
lang: "en"
---

# Wheebo

**A round jet-powered platform that novices steer by shifting their body weight**

_Creating A New, Exciting and Enjoyable water-based  Experience._

- **Corporate partner:** [Yanmar](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/partners/yanmar/) (https://www.yanmar.com/)
- **Cohort:** [2016/17](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/cohort/2016-17/)
- **Theme:** [Living & leisure](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/themes/living-leisure/)
- **Type:** Physical product
- **Key fact:** 11 km/h top speed of the final prototype
- **Universities:** [Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/dfm/), [Kyoto Institute of Technology](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/kyoto-it/)
- **Team:** 7 master students
- **Disciplines:** Architecture, Design, Design Strategy

## Challenge

Standing on water is exhilarating, but surfing and similar sports take practice. Yanmar asked for an entirely new water-based experience that novices can enjoy.

## What the team learned

Interviews with water enthusiasts, and trying the activities themselves, showed the team that standing on water is the most exhilarating part.

## What they built

Wheebo is a round, jet-powered platform that moves in any direction. A gyro sensor reads tilt, so riders steer by shifting weight. A Bluetooth wristband sets speed and stops it, it halts when no weight is sensed, and an app adjusts stability.

## Impact

Projected: Wheebo would be rented to holidaymakers at holiday spots near natural waters, with no licence needed.

## Full project text

The Wheebo, an omni-directional, jet-powered platform, allows the user to turn with a simple shift of weight or change of tilt on the water.

### Challenge

Surfboards, boats, wake-boards: there are many different ways to enjoy the water. Through interviewing water enthusiasts, and through experiencing different activities themselves, the team discovered that standing on water is a truly exhilarating experience. However, surfing and other activities where one can stand on water is difficult and requires practice. Could there be someway novices can stand on water? Yanmar challenged the students to develop an entirely new water-based experience.

### Solution

The team's answer is the Wheebo, an omni-directional, jet-powered platform which allows the user to turn with a simple shift of weight or change of tilt. The simplicity of the interaction and stability of the machine delivers a fun activity that is accessible to people of all levels of water experience.  
​  
Through iterative prototyping, the team delivered a final prototype that included:  
-Round platform with a central rotating jet underneath that allows the users to ride standing, sitting, or lying down.  
-Bluetooth connected wristband to control the speed of the Wheebo  
-Mobile app (connected via bluetooth) that customizes the Wheebo by adjusting the stability and sensitivity of the direction change sensors.

### Impact

The Wheebo give its users the chance to enjoy the waters even though they are novice to standing on the water. While the diesel engine and pleasure boat manufacturer Yanmar can proof to be a pioneer in extending their collection of water pleasure boats.

## Who built it.

- Brendan Parsons, Design Strategy and Innovation (Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne)
- Anisha Bijur Yang, Design Strategy and Innovation (Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne)
- Chun Cheng (Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne)
- Gergely Barna, Design (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Namina Sakai (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Ryohei Nomura, Architecture (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Yumeno Arima (Kyoto Institute of Technology)

## Video

- Wheeebo PressMovie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwfn08yImSM&feature=emb_title

## Sources

Summarised by the SUGAR editorial team from the team’s project page and SUGAR Expo booklet.

Open the 2016/17 booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TXg5U1NWDb_LJz7j9X2CHIyjHksh0QIk/view?usp=sharing