Katrin Batko is bringing a breath of fresh air to the e-scooter world. With TMBR Scooter, an e-scooter made of wood, she is using sustainable materials and a design that also meets the needs of women. Her goal: to make micromobility more accessible and inclusive.
In this interview, Katrin shares her journey from the first prototype to patent research and gives exciting insights into her development process, her work at Happylab and challenges she mastered in developing an e-scooter suitable for everyday use.
What makes you a maker? And who or what inspired you to start?
I like making things myself and finding my own solutions. It's cool to have things at home that you've made yourself. You can make a lot of things yourself with the options you have here at Happylab, for example, and save money at the same time. I live in a cooperative apartment in Vienna - there is a workshop there too, but I prefer to come to Happylab because the possibilities are even greater here and the change of location frees up my head.
The motivation to do things myself is probably partly due to my migrant background. My parents are from Poland and we always did a lot of things ourselves at home. I thought that was cool - the older I got (laughs). As a child, it wasn't always that cool.
Please tell us a little about your background.
Immediately after graduating from high school, I studied cultural and social anthropology. That wasn't planned. I actually went to the student advisory service for journalism. But the line there was so long that I just went to the cultural and social anthropology department next door to get advice (laughs). The course opened my eyes to how global our world is and how closely everything is connected.
How did you come across Happylab and how did your journey as a maker begin?
At the time, I was working in the science communication department at the Vienna business agency and that's how I came across Happylab. That was a long time ago, when you were still in your old location. But I can still remember an evening when various projects by members were shown. I saw all sorts of things there, including a bicycle made of wood. And I thought it was so cool that you could build something like a bicycle yourself at Happylab.
At the time, the "small" CNC milling machine seemed so complicated to me, I didn't dare to try it. The laser cutter was much easier for me to get started with. When you moved here to your new location, I did a training on the "large" CNC milling machine in the wood workshop. I found it much more accessible because the operation was more in line with my way of thinking. The machine then opened up many new paths for me.
At the same time, I changed jobs, to AIT. There I worked in marketing and user experience for the Center for Energy. The job was very exciting in terms of the projects, but I wasn't really happy with my tasks there. Then Corona came and I dug out an old idea for an e-scooter!
That was the beginning of your project TMBR Scooter, right?
I had been interested in the idea of working on an e-scooter for a while. A few years before that, I had already had a first prototype made for an e-scooter. Because I always thought of steel when it came to the material and I couldn't weld myself. One day while I was out on a walk, I thought I could tackle this old idea again and work with materials that I can work with myself here at Happylab. That's how I stumbled into this project TMBR Scooter - making an e-scooter out of wood myself.
In an initial consultation at Happylab with Lukas, we clarified what is theoretically possible and what is not so easy. Lukas also gave me an introduction to working with Fusion (note: Fusion 360, CAD software). I thought it was really cool how intuitive the software is to use. Before that, I hadn't been able to model in 3D. In the next step, I took a course in 3D modeling and worked step by step on my first prototypes. Later, I also took part in the Founders Lab of the Vienna business agency. And right now I'm looking at whether a patent would be possible.
Can you tell us more about the vision behind TMBR Scooter?
When I started the project, I became more and more interested in the topic of mobility and the challenges in this area. What struck me was, that mobility is not equally accessible to everyone. It is mainly men who are really mobile, all over the world. They can get from A to B quite safely and at any time of day. It's different for women. Their routes are often longer and more complex, e.g. due to family responsibilities. Safety is also different.
E-mobility, including micromobility in the form of e-scooters, is mainly used by men. There is data from Germany that shows that 75 - 80% of all e-scooter users are men. I think that's because e-scooters are often built by men. The tires are small, the footboards are narrow. Women are simply built differently, so they often don't feel safe on such scooters.
With TMBR Scooter, I want to make an e-scooter that women also like to use. That's why I use larger, 12-inch tires that provide better suspension. The footboard is also wider. The handlebars are height-adjustable, the battery is removable and easy to store. I'm still working on making it as light as possible, that's the biggest hurdle. My aim is also to produce the e-scooter as sustainably as possible and in Europe. I looked at where I could shorten the production routes and therefore designed the scooter so modularly that I could produce all the parts at Happylab. It's a bit more difficult with the electronic parts, but the frame can be produced entirely in a makerspace.
Which technologies do you use at Happylab?
The most important machines for me are the wood CNC mill and the metal laser cutter. I tested different types of wood on the CNC milling machine - bamboo first. But at the time I wasn't aware of how heavy bamboo panels actually are. So I switched back to a different type of wood. That's why my new prototype is now lighter again. That was a big learning experience.
At the beginning I thought I would definitely think of everything for my first prototype and wouldn't have to repeat anything. But of course when you're putting it together you always come across things that don't work. Of course I then remodeled each part and produced it again. But that's exactly what I like about this process. You learn a lot and get to know the devices better and better. And you lose your fear of trying out new things and getting involved with new devices.
What was it like for you to work with the machines at Happylab for the first time? Were there any hurdles for you?
I have a background in culture and the humanities, but I have always been interested in new technologies. If I had been better at maths at school, I might have gone to the Technical University (laughs). I was most afraid of the CNC milling machine, probably because it is so loud. At the beginning, I would definitely recommend coming when someone from the Happylab team is there. If something doesn't work and you get stuck, you can ask straight away, get the result much faster and learn something in the process.
The courses at Happylab are also well done. I really admire Lukas for his patience. When I work here, I often hear him explaining things and I find it really admirable how well he does it. And Happylab has also developed a lot from the last location, which was still very gray and nerdy, to this colorful and open space that you can also look into from the outside.
You took part in the Distributed Design Residency 2022/2023 at Happylab. How was that experience for you?
I thought the experience was pretty cool. The opportunity to use all the equipment in the makerspace and get a workspace was super great. Nothing better could happen to you, especially for the first prototype. For me, the residency fell at the time when I started a new job. So I couldn't use the first two months as I would have liked. But for me it was definitely an enrichment. During that time I completed almost two complete prototypes.
What are the biggest challenges with your project at the moment? What are you working on right now?
Hardware is really hard! Because you can't launch products that quickly and every development step is expensive. I work part-time at VELLO Bike, a folding bike manufacturer, so that I can develop TMBR Scooter alongside it.
At the moment I'm still working on the TMBR Scooter project alone. Next, I want to try to start a funding project and bring in other people with whom I can share the tasks. The funding landscape is currently all about software projects and artificial intelligence. Hardware projects don't have it easy. I think that's a shame because we can of course do everything digitally and artificially, but ultimately we live in a world where we touch things. But we mostly leave the field of hardware products to large companies that have the budget for it. Many people have great ideas about how products could be changed, but unfortunately they don't have the money to implement them.
You mentioned earlier that you are currently working on a patent. Can you tell us more about that?
When I tell people about my project, I am often asked if I have a patent on it. I then asked the patent office about various options and came across the "Buddies for Her" program. This specifically supports women because a very high percentage of patents are only registered by men.
I felt that I got really good advice from “Buddies for Her” and have already had several consultations. I am currently in the process of filling out an application that will give me the opportunity to do a free patent search. And if the search is positive, I can try to apply for funding for a patent. A patent is quite expensive; without funding, that costs around 10,000 euros. But depending on the funding scheme, you can get a large part of the costs funded. I probably can't patent the whole scooter, but maybe certain parts of it.
What advice would you give to people who have an idea and would like to develop a product but don't really know where to start?
You have to be very patient, listen to yourself carefully and take enough breaks. It's all no use if you end up with no energy left. For a while I was at Happylab until 10 o'clock in the evening or even later, then only went home to sleep and drove back to work early the next day. That makes you very tired. This summer, for example, I did almost nothing and now I've actually just come back from the break more creative.
If you already have a concrete idea, you should first research what's available in that area. If there's nothing yet, then write down the ideas and ask close friends for initial feedback. And then look for where you can realize the project, like here at Happylab. In a makerspace you obviously have to put in the work and be willing to learn. It is much cheaper to make the prototypes yourself instead of giving them to someone else. You pay extra for every change.
Makerspaces are definitely the best way to realize your own ideas. You just have to attend the training courses, talk to other people and also use networking meetings. I also really enjoy coming to Happylab to network because I meet people I know here and see how they are progressing.
What are your plans for the future?
As soon as the patent research is complete and I know whether the scooter is partially patentable, I want to go public more. Up until now I have held back a lot because I didn't want to block any opportunities. A photo session and a video would definitely be cool. (Note: The photos in this article show an older prototype)
And I want to advance TMBR Scooter through funding projects. Unfortunately I'm not rich (laughs). And if all that doesn't work out, it was still a learning experience and can only help me in life, including finding more jobs. I think the mobility industry is pretty cool. My plan B would be to delve deeper into it.
Thank you Katrin for the insights and good luck with your projects!