Moonwalker: meet the device that will make you ‘walk’ much faster

Humanity has always invested heavily in its means of transportation, seeking ways to get from one point to another in the shortest possible time. With technological evolution, means of transportation have become increasingly improved, and we are not talking about cars and planes, but rather more accessible items, such as bikes and treadmills.

Recently, there has been a wave of products that can be used to make it easier for pedestrians to get around, and even as a sport or entertainment. Hoverboards are one example, as are those electric scooters often used by security guards. Now, a type of autonomous skate has caught the attention of consumers: the “moonwalkers”.

Like ‘electric skates’, moonwalkers promise to make your life easier

This new technology developed by Shift Robotics, a technology company based in Pennsylvania, United States, aims to reduce the time and effort spent on walking. Thus, these are devices that a person can wear and walk normally, but with 250% more speed.

Moonwalkers are designed like sneakers with eight wheels distributed on each foot of the shoe that glide as you walk. Well, sneakers with wheels are not exactly new, but the difference here is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) built into the product.

How do they work?

AI helps the device to work, learning from your walking style and adapting its speed and movements to your style. In addition, the “electric shoe” has a rechargeable power source, but don’t worry, the charger input is similar to that of Android cell phones, which is a USB type.

Although it may not seem like it, given the charging method, the moonwalker recharges in about 90 minutes and is capable of traveling distances of up to 10 km without needing to be connected to the charger.

The idea behind the product is to revolutionize urban mobility and came about after the company’s founder and director, Xunjie Zhang, was almost run over by a scooter. It all started with the following question:

“What if we could borrow the idea of ​​a catwalk, but miniaturize it into shoes, so they can serve the purpose of a mini moving walkway?”

With that in mind, he worked hard with his team to create the product, which allows a person to walk up to 11 kilometers per hour. There will be two models available: Shift and Lock, the latter used for climbing stairs. Unfortunately, however, the product is still under development.

But if you want to have a moonwalker, prepare your wallets: the device is expected to cost around R$7 thousand.