Ever since the Segway made its grand debut, mankind has been looking for crazy ways to take the work out of walking. And the Rollkers, a pair of powered skates, promise to make it much easier to get from point A to point B by accelerating every single step you take.
Unlike a pair of Rollerblades or roller skates that have the rider making a graceful gliding motion to propel themselves along, the Rollkers simply require the wearer to walk at a normal pace. The electric motors in the skates automatically kick in every time a foot makes contact with the ground, propelling the wearer along at twice their normal walking speed.
Battery life is rated at an optimistic full hour of use, and that’s with a regenerative braking system that actually produces a little bit of extra power with every step. But real-world performance will depend on what speed you have them set at using a wirelessly connected app, and whether you’re heading downhill, or trying to walk up a mountain. There’s no word on when the Rollkers will finally be available — they have been in development for about eight years now — but their creator is optimistic that he can get them to the market with a price tag of around 400 euros sometime in the next few years. Fingers crossed. [Rollkers]