Moonwalkers, the world’s fastest shoes promise to increase your walking speed by 250 percent. Here’s everything you need to know.
What are the Moonwalkers?
Free from the learning curve that comes with roller and skateboarding, Moonwalkers allows users to boost their speed. Developed by robotic engineers trained by Carnegie Mellon University, the team from Shift Roboting is hoping to add some speed to your daily life. While they look similar to roller skates, the Moonwalkers make your experience powerful and intelligent.
The strap-on design of the Moonwalkers allows users to pair it with shoes of their choice. The shoes sport a 300-watt electric motor that powers eight polyurethane wheels. While they are similar to the wheels on inline skates, they are much smaller and not in a single line. Hence, with moonwalkers, you don’t need to balance.
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The Moonwalkers come with a range of six miles and are potential alternatives for a car for shorter commutes. A 1.5-hour charging of the shoe’s lithium-ion battery can give a six-mile range. Additionally, the sensors monitor your walking gait and adjust the power of the motors. This helps in synchronizing the user’s movements. Simple movements also allow the user to switch between lock and shift modes. Moreover, it also sports a hinged toe, ensuring flexibility for the user’s movements.
When in ‘shift’ mode, the wheels spin as the user is walking. However, when in the ‘lock’ mode, they are locked and remain in place. Thereby allowing users to climb stairs or stand without worrying about rolling around. They are also easy to stash when not in use. The firm is planning to bring in consumers through a crowdfunding case on Kickstarter. While the shoes are not yet available for sale. you can pay $999 to make an ‘early bird’ contribution. The final price of the shoes is expected to be about $1,400.