Photo: InMotion
If you ever tried your hand (feet?) at a hoverboard and found yourself flung violently on the floor because you applied too much pressure to rotate it, the safer, more stable option will soon be available. Meet InMotion’s Hovershoes X1.
They will go on sale in the US this July and are now available for pre-order on the official website. To oversimplify how they operate, they’re like motorized, self-operating rollerblades that offer you more freedom of movement and definitely more cool points than actual rollerblades would. You can see a video of the Hovershoes in action below. Granted, it serves to be a street dancer, but you’d look cool with them even without dancing skills.
The Hovershoes carry a maximum weight of 176 pounds, and have a range of 5 miles on an 1.5-hour charge. They reach maximum speed of 5 mph and are IP65 waterproof, which means they’re dust-resistant and water-resistant if the water is projected by a nozzle.
More importantly, the Hovershoes are safer than the traditional hoverboards, as Jeffrey Will, experience manager at InMotion, explains to Digital Trends. Cooler looking, too, but that’s already been said.
“To ride Hovershoes X1, each unit is powered on with a power button on its side,” he says. “To activate the motors for self-balancing, each unit has a pressure-sensitive pad to detect the presence of a rider’s foot. Once activated, it’s just a matter of hopping on. Hovershoes X1 are safe, easy to learn, and easy to master because riders can control their stance without their feet being locked into a fixed position.”
Most accidents with hoverboards happened with the rider trying to rotate it and applying too much pressure on either side for acceleration. This is virtually impossible with the Hovershoes, as each mini-hoverboard acts independently of the other.
“Technically, each ‘shoe’ is a single wheeled device, not unlike a tiny version of an electric unicycle with 3.5 inch roller style wheels with a platform on top,” Will adds.
The Hovershoes carry a maximum weight of 176 pounds, and have a range of 5 miles on an 1.5-hour charge. They reach maximum speed of 5 mph and are IP65 waterproof, which means they’re dust-resistant and water-resistant if the water is projected by a nozzle.
More importantly, the Hovershoes are safer than the traditional hoverboards, as Jeffrey Will, experience manager at InMotion, explains to Digital Trends. Cooler looking, too, but that’s already been said.
“To ride Hovershoes X1, each unit is powered on with a power button on its side,” he says. “To activate the motors for self-balancing, each unit has a pressure-sensitive pad to detect the presence of a rider’s foot. Once activated, it’s just a matter of hopping on. Hovershoes X1 are safe, easy to learn, and easy to master because riders can control their stance without their feet being locked into a fixed position.”
Most accidents with hoverboards happened with the rider trying to rotate it and applying too much pressure on either side for acceleration. This is virtually impossible with the Hovershoes, as each mini-hoverboard acts independently of the other.
“Technically, each ‘shoe’ is a single wheeled device, not unlike a tiny version of an electric unicycle with 3.5 inch roller style wheels with a platform on top,” Will adds.
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