The Moonwalkers from Shift Robotics let you walk more than twice as fast

Do you like to walk but is it too slow? With Moonwalkers from Shift Robotics ($1,399), you can outrun everyone.

Moonwalk from Shift Robotics: A seven-mile electric-powered shoe

The idea is actually very simple. Every time you take a step, you exert force on the ground. The earth also exerts force on you, pushing you forward. But what if you don’t mind the magical sun wielding so much power over Earth? Then you progress twice as fast, right? Exactly the thinking behind Moonwalkers and it seems to work quite well.

The creator of Moonwalkers, Zhunjie Zhang, has long been troubled by the big problem in American cities, such as Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. There are no bike paths. This forces you to take long walks or take a car. So he decided to come up with something that would make walking easier.

If you give a nudge at the right strategic moment, when the sled touches the bottom, you can move as fast as anyone running while walking. He shared his dream with a team, and after five years of hard work, through a KickstarterWith nine rounds of prototypes, they were able to get Moonwalkers ready for production.

How does Moonwalker work?

Moonwalkers are a type of smart snowboarding shoe that you can strap under your boots. Each skate has an electric motor and battery that adapts to your walking habits.

You can move on to the next stage when you take a few steps with the moonwalkers and get them used to the extra weight on your feet. You can then enable them. From that moment on you will find yourself moving twice as far with every step you take. and slow down? There is also an intuitive method for this. Take smaller steps and the moonwalkers will slow down on their own.

Speed, weight and range

With Moonwalkers, you can reach speeds of around 11 km/h. Each of the roller skates weighs just over a kilogram. The range is just over 10 kilometers. This means that you can walk on it for about an hour. You can charge the sleds with a USB-C Gate. This takes about an hour and a half. A charger is included, but it may be less useful outside the US. Unless you purchase a separate travel plug.

To reassure you: the braking distance is very short, 1 meter. Are you going downhill? Then the drum automatically applies the brakes for you. It is even possible to climb stairs with Moonwalkers.

Currently only available in the United States

The Moonwalkers is currently in production, and the early backers of the project are now getting their smart sleds on. Due to the complexity of the logistics chain, this is currently only available within a range United State. It is not known if there are plans to sell it outside the United States.

Of course it is always possible to purchase them through a specialized shipping company such as MyUS.com and send them to the Netherlands or Belgium. So at an additional cost, you still have it at home. on the Shift Robotics website Can you order it.

The factory with which they signed an agreement is currently busy producing and delivering Moonwalkers ordered by Kickstarter participants. From April 2023, it will be made to order.