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Take a spin in these electric skates

Walking is so last decade. SpnKix are battery-powered skates that let you turn ordinary shoes into motorized mobility devices.

Liane Yvkoff
Liane Yvkoff is a freelance writer who blogs about cars for CNET Car Tech. E-mail Liane.
Liane Yvkoff

Walking is so last decade. SpnKix battery-powered skates turn ordinary shoes into motorized mobility devices.

They're a little like roller blades but without all that exertion and exercise. Powered by lithium batteries, users strap the SpnKix over their footwear and control their speed with a wireless remote control. They have a maximum speed of 10 mph, an electric range of approximately 2-3 miles, and take about 2 hours to recharge. All hardware and electronics are integrated into a frame made of fiber-reinforced nylon.

Product designer Peter Treadway of JP Works has been developing this concept for the past five years and has built more than 30 prototypes. He's ready to move the final version into production--just as soon as he secures some financing.

That's where you come in.

By the end of January 2012, Treadway hopes to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter.com to fund his project and begin production. Backers starting at $375 will get a pair of these electric skates, and supporters who pledge $950 or more will get a special-edition pair with matte black wheels. If all goes according to plan, the first pair of SpnKix will ship around March 2012.

 
Special-edition SpnKix motorized skates in matte black. JP Works