Shift Robotics raised over 300,000 for the world’s fastest shoes, starts mass production phase.

A startup called Shift Robotics, based in Pittsburgh, US, has employed artificial intelligence for its eight-wheel electro-shoes Moonwalkers, which uses machine learning algorithms to adapt to users’ walking gaits during accelerated movement. 

Moonwalkers give users a 250% increase in walking speed, or around 11 kilometers an hour.

The company has raised 329,000 dollars on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to develop the gesture-controlled prototype and is now preparing to enter the mass production phase. 

The Moonwalkers ergonomic hinge system allows feet to naturally bend at toes, preserving users’ mobility and balance. Its electronic multi-layer brake protection lets users pause, go up and down stairs, and step into vehicles. 

Exploded view of Moonwalkers shoes.

Credit: Shift Robotics

Moonwalkers, which weight 1.8 kilograms and are slightly larger than users’ ordinary shoes, can stop in less than 1 meter from top speed and automatically regulate speed during downhill walk.

The patented invention can be charged anywhere and anytime, with any USB-C PD charger. It takes 130 minutes to fully charge for almost 10 kilometers of range.

“At the heart of Moonwalkers, a state-of-the-art brushless DC motor distributes its power across eight polyurethane wheels through a precision machined gearbox. The patented drivetrain consists of overlapping wheels to simulate much larger diameter wheels to climb over uneven terrain,” the company boasts on its website.

While Moonwalkers resemble rollers in a way, they are not stating and therefore users do not need to learn skating. Automatic adaptation to users’ walking pattern also means no new skills are necessary to learn.

Moonwalkers fit any shoes with comfort padding, which are added to the straps to make the wheeled platform disappear on walkers’ feet. On and off in seconds, thanks to magnetic buckles.

Moonwalkers footwear may go mainstream in a variety of civilian activities such as door-to-door delivery and police patrolling, for example, and become equally useful for military employment.

The price for Kickstarter supporters starts from 799 dollars a kit and jumps to 1,299 dollars, compared to 1,400 dollars for retail buyers. All tiers include a pair of Moonwalkers, a USB-C charger, and a Shift Carrying Bag.

Shipping is available in the United States only.

Shift Robotics was founded in 2018 by Xunjie Zhang, who studied mechatronics at Carnegie Mellon University after four years at Rolls-Royce.