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Openwheel is a real open-source hardware project by Zach Hipps: a DIY, self-balancing, single-wheel electric skateboard inspired by Future Motion’s Onewheel. It is not a conventional open-wheel racing project or a finished retail product. The original prototype appeared around 2021, received Hackaday coverage in January 2022, and entered a community-focused revival in 2026.
For builders, its appeal is transparency, repairability, and the ability to modify the hardware. For most riders, however, it remains an experimental engineering platform rather than a ready-to-ride alternative.
What is Openwheel?
Openwheel is an open-source, self-balancing electric skateboard that uses one large hub-driven wheel. Like other one-wheel boards, it keeps the deck upright by sensing its pitch and continuously commanding motor torque.
The project was created as a separate, DIY design inspired by the Onewheel category. It should not be described as a “free Onewheel”: it uses different hardware, different design assumptions, and does not come with the production support, warranty, or safety validation associated with a commercial product.
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The name is also ambiguous. Other unrelated projects called OpenWheel include a parametric 3D-printable robotic-wheel project documented on Hackaday.io and a University of California, Irvine student one-wheel skateboard project. This article refers specifically to Zach Hipps’s open-source self-balancing board.
Who created it and when?
Zach Hipps designed and built the original Openwheel around 2021. Hackaday published its feature, “DIY Onewheel on the Cheap,” on January 3, 2022.
In March 2026, Hipps announced that he was reviving the project after identifying weaknesses in the first design. The revival aims to create a lighter, more reliable, and more community-controlled platform, but the available 2026 material still describes active development rather than a completed product.
How does a one-wheel board balance?
A self-balancing board is a feedback-control system:
- Sensors measure the board’s orientation and movement.
- A controller compares that information with the desired upright position.
- The control loop commands the motor to accelerate or brake.
- The wheel moves beneath the rider, correcting the board’s pitch continuously.
The system is sensitive to sensor orientation, calibration, motor detection, current limits, control-loop tuning, mechanical rigidity, and fault handling. A board can have a powerful motor and still be unsafe or unrideable if its sensors, firmware, or mechanical assembly are wrong.
The original project used a balancing controller alongside an electronic speed controller. The 2026 revival discusses VESC-based control and field-oriented control for the hub motor. That does not establish a finalized current control architecture or mean that installing a VESC automatically makes a board safe.
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- 【Clear Display & Easy Control】 Features a 3.2-inch 240×320 matte LCD touchscreen with bright colors and smooth navigation. Includes direction keys, a 360° rotating control wheel, and a quick selection button for precise operation.
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What hardware did the original prototype use?
Hackaday’s report describes the general architecture as including:
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- A single powered hub wheel
- A 48-volt LiPo battery pack
- An electronic speed controller
- A dedicated balancing controller
- Aluminum structural components
- Large 3D-printed parts
- Footpads, bumpers, rails, and enclosure elements
- Regenerative braking
This is an architectural description, not a complete bill of materials. The available coverage does not independently verify every part number, battery capacity, cell configuration, fuse, connector, wire gauge, firmware setting, or structural dimension.
What did the original design achieve?
The first Openwheel demonstrated that a capable maker could assemble a functioning one-wheel electric board without relying entirely on proprietary commercial hardware. Its reported features included hub-motor drive, self-balancing, regenerative braking, aluminum construction, and substantial 3D-printed components.
Some descriptions compared the prototype favorably with commercial specifications. Those statements should be treated as reports about that particular prototype, not as independently verified benchmarks for every Openwheel revision. The available evidence does not establish validated current figures for speed, range, rider weight, acceleration, braking distance, or continuous power.
Why did the first design need a redesign?
Hipps’s 2026 retrospective identifies several problems:
- The original board was too large.
- The large LiPo battery made it excessively heavy.
- The 3D-printed parts were not ideal for the stresses involved.
- The electronics needed more refinement.
- The original hub motor became difficult to source.
These issues matter because they show why Openwheel is not simply a finished design waiting to be downloaded. A prototype can prove the concept while still needing substantial work on weight, fatigue resistance, thermal management, component availability, and repeatable assembly.
What is changing in the 2026 revival?
The stated revival roadmap includes a lighter battery system, a replacement hub motor, VESC-based control, more reliable electronics from reputable suppliers, and open development through a GitHub repository. Longer-term plans include open designs for components such as the motor, controller, rails, enclosure, footpads, sensors, and battery-management system.
Hipps has also described a “spectrum of building”: some people might assemble a supplied system, while others could manufacture major parts themselves. These are project goals and roadmap items, not proof that production-ready versions of every subsystem already exist.
Why the motor is a major engineering question
The revival has focused on a hub motor identified as the PHUB-188PW family. An earlier version was reported as 800 W, while a replacement was marketed at up to 4,000 W and 72 V. Hipps questioned the higher rating and began developing a dynamometer rather than accepting the label at face value.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute“4,000 W” alone says very little about how a motor will perform on a board. A meaningful evaluation must distinguish among:
- Peak electrical input power
- Continuous thermal power
- Mechanical output power
- Torque at the relevant RPM
- Efficiency
- Controller and battery limits
- Cooling and duty cycle
- Total rider-and-board mass
- Mechanical strength and durability
The planned dynamometer is intended to measure torque, RPM, mechanical output, and efficiency. Efficiency can be expressed as mechanical output power divided by electrical input power. That is much more informative than repeating an unverified marketing rating.
What role does VESC play?
VESC is a configurable motor-control ecosystem widely used in custom electric vehicles. In the reported Openwheel motor testing, VESC detection software was used to spin the motor, while the VESC mobile app displayed information such as current, duty cycle, and temperature.
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A correct configuration still requires careful work with:
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- Motor detection and phase or sensor wiring
- Motor and battery current limits
- Hall-sensor and orientation settings
- Temperature limits and cooling
- Regenerative-braking limits
- Throttle and footpad logic
- Battery-management behavior
- Fault handling and emergency shutdown
No final controller part number or complete current configuration should be assumed until the project publishes it.
Is Openwheel cheaper than a commercial Onewheel?
The original motivation included reducing cost and dependence on proprietary parts, but there is no verified current total build cost. DIY construction shifts the expense from a retail purchase to tools, fabrication, batteries, chargers, machining, 3D printing, failed prototypes, engineering time, and testing.
Openwheel may be cheaper for a builder who already owns the necessary equipment and values repairability. It may be more expensive for someone starting from scratch. A credible comparison needs a current bill of materials and regional prices, neither of which has been established in the available sources.
Is it available as a finished product?
No verified general retail launch, production warranty, service network, safety certification, or completed-board sales channel has been established. The 2026 project describes possible future assemblies and self-manufactured versions, but that is a vision rather than confirmation that a finished Openwheel kit is currently available.
Downloading design files, where available, does not mean that a complete ride-ready package exists. Builders must separately verify the current repository, license, file completeness, revision status, parts list, and instructions.
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Can you build one?
Potentially—but this is not a casual weekend project. A serious builder needs competence in:
- Mechanical design and structural fabrication
- 3D-printing materials, orientation, fastening, and fatigue
- High-current LiPo battery systems
- Brushless motor control and VESC configuration
- Embedded firmware and feedback control
- Fuses, connectors, wiring, and electrical protection
- Controlled testing and fault diagnosis
Before starting, verify that the files describe a tested revision rather than an early prototype. Also confirm whether the hardware and software licenses permit modification or commercial manufacture.
Is it really open source?
“Open source” should be checked rather than assumed. Evaluate the project against this checklist:
| Area | What to verify |
|---|---|
| CAD | Complete, downloadable files for the current revision |
| Firmware | Source code, build instructions, and documented dependencies |
| Electronics | Schematics, PCB files, component references, and wiring diagrams |
| Build documentation | Repeatable assembly and calibration instructions |
| License | Clear permission to modify, share, and potentially manufacture |
| Parts list | Current, sourced components rather than obsolete or unavailable parts |
| Revision history | Identification of experimental versus validated designs |
| Community process | A documented way to report issues and contribute changes |
The project’s stated philosophy is transparent, repairable, upgradeable, and community-owned. Those goals should not be confused with proof that every critical design file, license, governance arrangement, or production process is already complete.
Safety: the part that cannot be improvised
A self-balancing board combines a high-current battery, a fast motor, a control loop, and a rider standing above the mechanism. Risks include LiPo fire, battery damage, BMS trips, electrical shorts, regenerative-braking overvoltage, controller or motor overheating, water ingress, structural failure, sudden acceleration, sudden braking, and falls.
Large 3D-printed parts require particular care. Material choice, layer adhesion, print orientation, infill, fastener loads, impact resistance, fatigue, and environmental exposure all affect whether a part is suitable for a critical load path. A cracked rail, axle mount, or footpad should be replaced with a validated design—not casually patched.
Initial testing should be performed:
- With the wheel elevated or otherwise physically restrained
- At low current and low speed
- Without a rider
- With an accessible emergency power-disconnect method
- After inspecting axle retention, fasteners, wiring, connectors, and the battery enclosure
- Only after braking and fault behavior are understood
Neither regenerative braking nor a working prototype proves that the finished design is safe to ride. The available sources do not establish independent safety testing or certification.
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| Symptom | Likely causes | Safe response |
|---|---|---|
| Motor does not spin | Incorrect phase wiring, failed detection, sensor incompatibility, controller fault | Remove the load, inspect wiring, and follow the controller documentation |
| Board oscillates | Incorrect sensor orientation, tuning, or loose assembly | Do not ride; verify mounting and test with the wheel elevated |
| Controller overheats | Excessive current, poor cooling, overload, incorrect limits | Stop and inspect limits, cooling, and motor loading |
| Voltage rises during braking | Regeneration exceeds battery absorption capability | Stop rider testing until regenerative limits are verified |
| Sudden cutout | Voltage sag, BMS trip, connector failure, or controller fault | Review faults and inspect the power path before retesting |
| Vibration | Wheel imbalance, bent axle, bearing or rotor problem, loose hardware | Complete a mechanical inspection before running at speed |
Openwheel versus a commercial Onewheel
| Criterion | Openwheel | Commercial Onewheel |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Experimental project; no verified general retail launch | Finished product sold through Future Motion’s official site |
| Openness | Designed around open development and community participation | Proprietary hardware and firmware model |
| Repairability | Potentially modifiable and serviceable by the builder | Depends on proprietary parts and manufacturer support |
| Cost | Requires parts, tools, labor, and failed prototypes | Known retail purchase model, though current pricing varies |
| Performance evidence | Prototype-specific and still under development | Product-specific manufacturer specifications and support |
| Warranty and service | No verified production warranty or service network | Commercial support model |
| Best suited to | Advanced makers and open-hardware advocates | Riders seeking convenience and immediate use |
What to watch next
The most important signs of progress will be a final motor choice, measured torque and efficiency data, a documented controller architecture, a defined battery and BMS design, a mechanically revised board, complete build files, clear licensing, safety testing, and genuine availability of kits or completed assemblies.
Until those milestones are documented, the 2021-era prototype and the 2026 revival should be treated as different stages of an evolving project—not as interchangeable designs.
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