Hello high schoolers! Welcome back to the blog. Today we’re diving into the future of mobility that I learned about at CES in Las Vegas: the Moon Walker shoes. Imagine strapping on battery-powered shoes that more than double your walking speed without breaking a sweat! It’s like skating without skates and walking like you’ve never experienced before.

The Moon Walker: the discovery of the future

At CES, I had the exciting opportunity to test the Moon Walker shoes. These futuristic shoes recognise your walking motion and adjust their wheels to your speed. It’s like having a catwalk under your feet, except you’re in control. But here’s the kicker — these shoes weigh about 5 pounds each.

Physics in action

As a budding engineer, I couldn’t help but wonder: does wearing these shoes actually save energy, or does the extra weight negate the benefits of increased speed? Let’s take a look.

Energy cost of walking: Humans have a natural preferred walking speed that is optimised to use the least amount of energy. This is the way our body moves efficiently.

Energy expenditure: The energy expended while walking is not a linear function of speed. It is more of a U-shaped curve. At slower speeds, more energy is expended, and at optimal speeds it is most efficient.

Calculate the cost: With Moon Walker shoes, each step requires additional energy to lift, accelerate, decelerate and set down the extra weight. At first glance, it seems like a simple physics problem, but there’s more to it than that.

Biomechanical reality: Newtonian physics may suggest one thing, but our body mechanics tell us something else. Carrying weights on the ankle, for example, increases energy expenditure by about 25%. The 5-pound weight of the moon walker could increase energy expenditure in a similar way.

Optimising performance: Moon Walkers may increase speed, but the extra weight makes the energy balance more difficult. Walking faster with these shoes could still be more energy efficient than the extra effort required to carry the weight.

The future of walking?

So are Moon Walker shoes the future of mobility or just a novelty? They offer the potential to significantly increase walking speed, but the extra weight could negate these benefits, especially if it affects your natural walking speed. Perhaps as technology advances, lighter versions could prove more effective.

Would you wear Moon Walkers? Can you think of a situation where they might be useful? Let me know in the comments below!