The Moonwalkers robot shoes are back, and they’re lighter this time

Shift Robotics has launched a caller mentation of its Moonwalkers shoes / motorized roller skates that assertion to boost the velocity of your earthy walking gait.

Unlike the archetypal generation, determination are six wheels alternatively of 10 connected the Moonwalkers Aero, which the institution says makes them lighter and quieter. That makes them akin to, but not the aforesaid as, the industrial-focused Moonwalkers X shoes it introduced earlier this twelvemonth astatine CES.

Their apical velocity is inactive 7 mph, but they’re implicit a lb lighter connected each ft — 4.2 pounds compared to 5.3 pounds — acknowledgment to a caller “magnesium alloy powertrain.” The Aero are besides 20db quieter arsenic a effect of determination being 8 less wheels underfoot and a caller “Neodymium magnet based motor.”

Despite a streamlined design, the caller $1,199 Moonwalkers Aero are somewhat much costly than the originals, which are inactive disposable for $1,049.

The advertised mean scope connected a afloat complaint remains the aforesaid astatine astir 7 miles, but that volition beryllium connected the terrain, whether users are going uphill oregon downhill, and their size. The Moonwalkers Aeros tin enactment users up to 220 pounds, and the institution says the caller mentation works much efficiently successful blistery environments with a longer scope acknowledgment to a caller “thermal and regenerative absorption system.”

Shift Robotics says that “every disposable part” connected the Moonwalkers Aero is user-replaceable and that they’re designed to acceptable amended with shoes ranging successful size from a women’s six to a men’s 12, with a caller optional spacer that’s disposable successful 2 sizes.

The archetypal Moonwalkers are present positioned arsenic the much rugged mentation perfect for uneven terrains featuring bumps and cracks, with the Aero intended for indoor use, specified arsenic warehouses with creaseless factual floors. They besides link to a mobile app that includes preset modes for indoor, city, and sport, with a customization enactment letting users modify their acceleration profiles to their comfortableness level.