Urban Transport

Moonwalkers robotic shoes speed walk to market at $1,400

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The Moonwalkers robo-shoes from Shift Robotics have now officially hit the market and at $1,400 they present as a legitimate, low-cost, no-maintenance, easily-carried, last-mile transportation solution.
The Moonwalkers robo-shoes from Shift Robotics have now officially hit the market and at $1,400 they present as a legitimate, low-cost, no-maintenance, easily-carried, last-mile transportation solution.
Spun out of Carnegie Mellon, Shift Robotics has spent the last 5 years building nine generations of prototypes to get Moonwalkers to market and they’re finally here. Shift claims you can walk like a pro within 10 steps, then keep walking to running speed.
The Moonwalkers feature a 600W 18-wheel-drive intelligent powertrain
Carnegie Mellon spinoff Shift Robotics has developed and tested a number of prototypes ahead of sales launch
Most people walk at between 4 km/h (2.5 mph) and 5 km/h (3.1 mph), so with no extra effort, by wearing the Moonwalkers over your shoes, you will actually travel up to 7 km/h faster.
The Moonwalkers are designed to strap onto regular footwear
Exploded view of a Moonwalker robotic shoe
The wheels lock when you’re taking the stairs.
View gallery - 12 images

Shift Robotics began as a Carnegie Mellon spin-off, its first product was funded by Kickstarter so do not dismiss them as just another set of strap-on electric roller skates.

The Moonwalkers scored a spot in Time magazine’s Top Inventions of 2023, and the company’s aim is to enable everyone to walk at running speed.

You walk normally when wearing Moonwalkers, just as you do on an escalator at the airport, just a lot faster. It’s not just about the speed either. In using the Moonwalkers to their maximum, you’ll be exerting no more energy than you would be walking, so you’re not going to arrive anywhere sweaty and out of breath.

Most people walk at between 4 km/h (2.5 mph) and 5 km/h (3.1 mph), so with no extra effort, by wearing the Moonwalkers over your shoes, you will actually travel up to 7 km/h faster.

The Moonwalkers use an adaptive AI powertrain that includes a 300-W brushless motor in each boot that powers nine polyurethane wheels. So if you need a real world reference, the Moonwalkers have a 600-W 18-wheel-drive intelligent powertrain.

The Moonwalkers only come in one size, but they can be worn with almost any set of shoes , fitting US Men's sizes 7.5 to 13 and US Women's sizes 9 to 13.5.

Now the fine print says that Moonwalkers can support a maximum user weight of 220 lb (100 kg), and that if you weigh more than that, you can still use Moonwalkers but will experienced slightly reduced performance in certain edge cases.

The wheels lock when you’re taking the stairs.

The Moonwalkers continuously communicate with one another, enabling them to monitor the user's gait and speed, and sense whether you want to go faster or slower or stop very quickly – there’s even anti-lock braking.

This appears to be a legitimate, viable, cost-effective and new form of transport that needs no learning curve . We hope to bring you a test walk soon.

Source: Shift Robotics

View gallery - 12 images
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6 comments
paul314
I wonder how well they negotiate curbs, potholes, sidewalk cracks and other pavement imperfections. Falling at 3-4x usual walking speed can lead to serious injury (as lots of casual rollerbladers learned in a previous generation).
Oirinth
looks like the cruising speed is a bit slower than casual roller blading .. but without the effort, shame the video doesn't show any real manoeuvring or any indication on how you're meant to stop suddenly,
Global
What do they weigh?
Dan
Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHnotmp4R0o
Excalibur
How long do the batteries last?
Can you just replace them to get more range?
Do they work well uphill?
Can you walk through puddles?
Primecordial
I wonder if they were tested in the rain? First puddle and they short-out?