The vast majority of personal transport means have already been properly "electrified" by now. We've seen a wide range of cars, bicycles, and even skateboards, but now it's the turn of RocketSkates. These electric skates practically swept Kickstarter last year, and continue their rounds after showing up at CES 2015.
A while ago I spotted a seven- or eight-year-old in a shopping mall zipping through the aisles at full speed, without using a skateboard or skates. For a moment I thought there was some kind of glitch in the Matrix (?), but a few weeks later I discovered that shoes with wheels in the sole exist. History tells us the traditional roller skate is over two hundred years old, and despite updates, it has never lost popularity. In these times that show a clear preference for more efficient and eco-friendly travel options, skates couldn't be left without their electric sibling. The RocketSkates developed by ACTON landed on Kickstarter in the middle of last year and exceeded the original goal eleven times.
The RocketSkates come in three models: the R6 offers a range of 9.6 kilometers or 45 minutes of operation, the R8 stretches that to 12.8 kilometers or 70 minutes, and the top R10 reaches a respectable 16 kilometers or 90 minutes. Their "brushless" 50-watt motors can push you to a top speed of 19 kilometers per hour and carry people weighing up to 125 kilograms (which doesn't stop me from thinking I'd probably look ridiculous wearing them). Although the maker offers a dedicated app to connect with other users and tweak certain aspects, the skates don't actually depend on any mobile device. To accelerate, you just lean forward (the skates are configured in a master-slave setup), and to brake you effectively "dig" your heels in.
The hardest part to swallow about the RocketSkates is the price. We're talking $499 for the R6, $599 for the R8, and $699 for the R10 version, which will probably limit the product's reach. Still, they got a lot of attention at CES 2015, and their official site already has them on sale.
