Off-Road In-Line Skates Have Tank Treads And Electric Motors

Anyone who has ever used in-line skates knows that they don't work that well in the dirt or grass. The wheels get caught up and you fall or you slow way down and practically have to walk through the dirt. A man called Jack Skopinski has created what he calls off-road rollerblades. Each of the off-road skates has a 350W DC motor on the back.

That electric motor gets power from 26V/2G Ah li-ion batteries and a 36A controller. The combination of electric motors and battery packs is able to speed the wearer of the skates along at about 9mph for a distance of 12 miles per charge. A handheld controller connected via a cable governs speed across the ground.

Direction is controlled by leaning into turns, just as you would with normal in-line skates. The design is certainly big and bulky and looks like something you might create in your garage. The tank treads are made of a rubber material that looks rather thin. The skates weigh 11 pounds and it's unclear if that is each of for the pair, presumably, it is for the pair.

You can buy these right now for $1,400 per pair. The designer also plans to build in-line skates with standard wheels for commuting in the city. The video shows a user with the off-road skates having no issues going over all sorts of rough off-road terrain. It does look like a rather bumpy ride though. The idea behind these electric skates is to make it easier for people to commute to and from work, even if their trip requires a bit of overland trekking. I see these as being more for people who like to hike without actually hiking.

SOURCE: Gizmag