Tag Archives: Skates

Man Builds Electric-Powered Ice Skates That Double as Meat Grinders

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Because you don’t know until you try, and not trying may haunt you for the rest of your life, Simon Sörensen of YouTube channel RCLifeOn went and built himself a pair of electric-powered ice skates using parts from an electric skateboard. I can already see myself scoring the winning goal in a hockey game. Wait – or is that me getting ejected for wearing electric skates?

Each skate has an electric motor surrounded by a spiked wheel mounted on the heel, along with shock absorbers (which he later replaces with solid rods) to ensure the wheel remains in constant contact with the ice. He controls the wheels’ rotation via a handheld controller, and both skates are powered via a battery worn in a backpack and not by the power of Greyskull like I would have used. What? He-Man doesn’t need it all.

Simon warns at 10:48 in the video that if you’re interested in building similar skates to be careful, and uses one of the spiked wheels to grind a hotdog and carrot to demonstrate what might happen if you fell on one of them. I think it goes without saying, but that does not look like a very pleasant experience.

[via Hackaday]

Electric Rollerblades Scoot Across Dirt on Tank Treads

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Being a child of the ’80s, you might expect I could roller skate with the best of them. Roller-skating was a big deal back then, and many a birthday party for friends and myself happened at the Skateplex. Sadly, I was never very good at it; stopping was achieved mostly by slamming into a wall. I used the same technique years down the road when Rollerblades were the big thing. I can remember falling on my face more than a few times hitting dirt, tiny rocks, or sticks on those rollerblades. So I can only imagine the trouble I’d get into with powered rollerblades.

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Jack Skopinski has created EV4 Blades – a cross between rollerblades and a tank that are meant to help people get to and from work or school even if their trek has some off-road portions. Each of the boots has a big 350W DC motor on the back with power coming from a 26 Ah li-ion battery paired with a 36A controller. The rubber tracks on the bottom of the skates are capable of speeds up to 9 mph, and they can roll for up to 12 miles per charge.

A handheld controller connected to the motor with a cable controls the speed. Riders lean into the corners to change directions. The skates tip the scales at 11 pounds, so they’re not exactly light. You can get a set for about $1400. They do look fun in the video, but I’d still find a way to fall.

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[via Gizmag]

Acton R5 Rocket Skates Can Cruise for 5 Miles and Look Weird Doing It

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Acton is showing off some cool new skates that are now available to pre-order. Rocket Skates might be a misleading name –  they’re not actually propelled by rockets, and that is probably a good thing. The battery-powered R5 Rocket Skates look a bit like wheelchairs for your feet and are sure to get you noticed.

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You clamp them on your feet and they have a battery inside that helps you zip around the city having fun or getting to work. The battery will let you roll around for up to five miles at speeds up to 12 mph, and they take just 90 minutes to charge. Acceleration and braking can be controlled by a remote or an app on iOS and Android devices. That app will also track your route and distance traveled.

As you can see in the video below, they take a little work to get used to, but they look pretty cool in action:

The R5 Rocket Skates will ship sometime this month for $399, making them the most value priced skates in the line to date.

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[via Acton]

Spnkix motorized skates crash the final Engadget CES podcast (video)

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Right in the middle of our final CES podcast, we were mildly interrupted by a man on battery-powered heels. These are Spnkix, a pair of wheel-toting heels that can be lashed to your shoes (Men sizes 6-14, Women sizes 7-15.5). You can expect to push out around 7 miles of coverage on a single charge -- depending on your weight and angle of the surface. Charging takes around 4 to 5 hours, while the battery units are removable if you reckon you'll be making an extended journey. Speeds top out at 10mph, while a wireless controller (that also takes removable batteries) allows you to manipulate the speed, while a stopper on the heel will be familiar to anyone who's roller-skated before. Spnkix Pro, seen here, will set you back $699 and they're available to buy at the source below.

Gallery: spnKiX Rocket Skates hands-on

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Skittle-ized Rollerskates & More!

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This is a series called Skittle-ized Objects by artist Samantha Alaimo. They’re made for Zing + How Design and photographed by Kaleidoscope Imaging. Thank god Samantha decided to stick with traditional Skittles, because seriously? F*** Tropical Skittles. That stuff is naaaasty. There’s a Skittle-ized accordion, basketball goal, keyboard, hockey stick, and I’m really digging these Skittle Skates. Lookin’ good enough to eat! While doing the Hokey Pokey! Just kidding, I don’t roller skate anymore these days. Not since I lost my balance mid-wipe and rolled out of the bathroom stall with my pants around my ankles. That… was embarrassing. To say the least. All the other girls saw my butt!