Experimental analysis of electric kick scooter vertical dynamics: the effect of speed, tyre inflation pressure, rider mass and road pavement on rider comfort and health safety

In recent years, the widespread use of electric kick scooters in urban areas has posed significant challenges to municipalities due to inadequate infrastructure and lack of proper regulation. This study focuses on the Italian context, where limited urban spaces and poor pavement conditions exacerbate safety concerns for e-scooter riders. Indeed, e-scooter-related injuries are increasing, with rider health also critically affected by vibration at vehicle interface points, which is still disregarded in the available studies and regulations. This paper addresses the gap in the literature regarding the influence of physical parameters such as rider mass, tyre inflation pressure, vehicle speed and road surface unevenness on e-scooter vertical dynamics. The most influential parameters have been identified through an extensive experimental campaign, whose output has been used for creating a regression model able to predict vibration intensity at critical points on the e-scooter. This paper is...