German inline skater and entrepreneur Marcel Frerichs developed Blade Booster, a revolutionary electric drive attachment that boosts speed of inline skates.
“With the Blade Booster, you can effortlessly conquer longer distances, achieve thrilling speeds up to 25 km/h, and tackle inclines with ease, all while enjoying the pure joy of skating,” the startup said in their Kickstarter campaign. The patented design securely attaches to existing skates, providing a burst of power with a simple tilt of foot.
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The main device slides onto one of the user's inline skate boots, and gets screwed into place so it sits over and in front of the nose of the boot. A polyurethane driving wheel that extends from the bottom is connected to a 250-watt brushless electric motor at the top via a belt drive.
From that module, a rubber power cable ascends via two guides fastened to the user's leg and enters a 36V/6-Ah lithium-ion battery pack that is carried in a backpack. A wireless handheld remote is the only other part of the system, reports New Atlas.
The Blade Booster can reach a maximum speed of 25 km/h (16 mph) with a stated range of 10 to 20 km (6 to 12 miles) between charges, depending on the user's weight, among other parameters. It is said that the entire system tips the scales at 2.2 kg (4.9 lb), of which 1.4 kg (3 lb) are made up of the primary gadget.
Currently, the device is in a fully functional prototype that has been in regular use for a year, hence its rather scuffed appearance in the photos.
“The project financing enables the production of the first small series to establish the Blade Booster in the inline skate scene through early adopters, while we at Blade Booster continue to work on further development and commercialization,” the startup said.