Gesture-Controlled JoyErider e-Skates Are the Smartest Skates “Ever”

Walking is free (duh), but it requires effort and time (double duh). As we all know, neither is in ample supply when it comes to rushing to get to work on time in the morning, preferably still in a presentable manner. But if you put motors and wheels to your feet, you can get the best of both worlds – walking upgraded.

With the recent boom of electric two-wheelers came the first commercial models of e-skates, miniature motorized wheels for your feet designed for urban mobility. Some are more or less standard skates but with motorized wheels, while others claim to actually reinvent walking by allowing you to perform the same motions while adding extra oomph. They put a literal spin on the phrase "put a spring in your step," if you will.

The JoyErider falls in the former category, but it still claims to set a world first by being the first pair of e-skates that doesn't require a remote control to operate. All the others do, even Rollkers, the e-skates that "reinvent” walking. Instead, the JoyErider is controlled by foot gestures, which means you get to tap your foot or feet to enable certain functions like acceleration, braking, and switching between riding modes.

Unlike every other pair of e-skates out there, the JoyErider also seems to do away with heavy and bulky form factors, extra wiring, or even separate battery packs that you have to carry in a fanny pack. They're compact and sleek, integrating the motor and the battery within the same platform you attach to your shoes by means of adjustable straps. They're still heavy, but hey, you can't have it all in life.

Described as "the smartest motorized skates ever," the JoyErider e-skates are designed and built by Passion Mobility, a China-based specialist company that does mostly electric cargo vehicles with autonomous functions. From what we can tell, this is the first product in their lineup designed for commercial use in urban mobility, and it's infused with tech the company developed for their bigger electric products, like a golf caddy that follows you around.

The JoyErider features a "first of its kind sensor fusion tech," which pairs each skate with the JoyErider app, where users will customize the foot gestures that will allow them control. Instead of pressing buttons on a remote control, users can tap their foot or feet any number of times they choose to control speed and braking. That might not work as flawlessly in a real-life scenario as it does in the demonstration video below, but for a more intuitive and faster response time, you can always ride on non-motorized skates. Or simply walk.

Each skate is powered by a 150W motor that feeds on a 24V 3.5Ah (90Wh) battery. A full charge takes three hours and delivers a range of 20 km (12.5 miles), which is more than decent for a product of this kind. Maximum speed is 20 kph (12.5 mph), with the ability to climb 8-degree inclines and a maximum payload of 100 kg (220.5 lbs).

Each skate rides on 3.5-inch polyurethane wheels, electronically braked, and fits shoes measuring between 27 to 33 cm (10.6 to 13 inches). Each skate also weighs 3 kg (6.6 lbs), which isn't light enough to let you forget this detail when you run out of battery.

Rated IP54, which means it's resistant to water sprays, the JoyErider promises the most fun and cool way to move about the city, bypassing traffic jams while staying safe on the sidewalk and not breaking a sweat in the process. The possibility to customize the foot gestures makes each pair as unique as the rider and could even work as theft deterrent. What good is a pair of e-skates if you don't know how to make them go, right?

Keeping in mind that e-skates target a very specific niche of the two-wheeler urban mobility market, the JoyErider seems like the perfect solution for the daily commute but with a touch of personalization, convenience, and fun. The bad news is that Passion Mobility doesn't sell direct to customer, and there's no word on when they might be reaching the market – in China, in an initial stage. Neither is there any mention of pricing, at least as of the time of press.

The JoyErider e-skates were presented at the 2023 edition of the Taipei Cycle bicycle show, which points to plans to bring them into production at some point or, at the very least, to an attempt to see if there is a concrete market for such a product.