These electric skates are on a roll

Along the spectrum of personal transportation, ranging from roller sneakers and the Segway to hover boards and flying cars, there lies this latest innovation. Appropriately dubbed “RocketSkates,” the Kickstarter campaign has already garnered over $455,000 from 660-plus backers, well over the original $50,000 goal.

“Remote controllers? We don’t need remote controls! Your hands are now free for interpretive dance moves as you cruise about town — your feet control the skates,” a company rep explains on its Kickstarter page.

Each skate is equipped with two hub motors and an onboard microprocessor, allowing the pair to synchronize with one another to maintain the same speed and behavior. To speed up, simply tilt your feet forward; to slow down, tilt your heels back. Wearers can monitor the status of their skates, diagnose problems, check battery status, interact with your social connections, and of course, track their routes using an accompanying iOS and Android app. Additionally, a Software Developer Kit (SDK) will be available for developers interested in creating games and app features for RocketSkates.

The skates currently come in three versions, the R6, R8 and R10, with the number symbolizing the range in miles of the RocketSkates on a single battery charge. Range and run times do however vary by model. The R6 can travel six miles and run for 45 minutes on a full charge; the R8 tops out at eight miles and 70 minutes; and the R10 maxes out at 10 miles and 90 minutes. The three models retail for $499, $599 and $699, respectively.

Just how fast can these babies go? Users can cruise the sidewalks with speeds of up to 12 miles per hour, as you can see in the video below.

Interested in learning more? Roll on over to its official Kickstarter page here.