Pittsburgh-based robotics and engineering company Shift Robotics has just unveiled its battery-powered sneakers — the Moonwalkers. Said the be the “world’s fastest shoe” the Moonwalkers assist in boosting walk speeds up to 250%.
Powered by a state-of-the-art brushless DC motor, eight polyurethane wheels work together with the gearbox to drive the overlapping wheels to simulate much larger diameter wheels to climb over uneven terrain. Seeing totally hand-free use, the Moonwalkers can be used in multiple types of terrain, are fully charged in 1.5 hours, have a range of six miles, and can be set in “Lock” mode for stairs with just a quick gesture.
Rather than thinking of them as powered skates, think of them as more of a travelator for your feet. “Moonwalkers are not skates. They’re shoes. The world’s fastest shoes actually,” Xunjie Zang, founder and CEO of Shift Robotics, comments. Those looking to back this project can find them over at Kickstarter for $1,099 USD where the expected delivery is March 2023.
In other tech news, Sony’s new mirrorless A7R V camera uses AI to eye-track subjects.
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