Segway takes to Indiegogo for their new skates- the Drift W1 e-Skates

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Segway’s new Drift W1 e-Skates look hella fun. Just step on, adjust your center of gravity slightly by leaning and you’re away. I basically lived on my rollerblades as a kid so the Drift W1 e-Skates feel like a grown-up version of that. There’s all of Segway’s sophisticated gyro tech in there so you stay balanced, and they’re nimble enough to thread through crowds.

I couldn’t do that on my ‘blades, at least not without hitting someone. Has anyone raced a mall cop on a Segway yet? That’d be cool to see.

Don’t forget your helmet

Anyone can learn how to control them within minutes of stepping on, and Segway says they’re safe to ride – just wear safety gear. Nobody wants a broken head. For the current Indiegogo price of $369 ($499 MSRP), you get a set of the Drift W1 e-Skates and a charger. Other Segway branded accessories also exist, like a helmet ($49/59) and a backpack that has an inner sleeve for the Drift W1’s for $99.

There are custom-designed hard rubber tires, so you don’t have to worry about a flat. The frame is magnesium alloy for weight reduction and strength. A 200W motor in each skate powers you along at a fairly speedy 7.5 mph.

There’s a 44 Wh battery which should give you about 45 minutes of skate time. They also cope with multiple road surfaces, which is nice. I remember being stymied by brick paving all the time.

If you’re interested, head on over to the Indiegogo campaign where you can grab a pair for $369 currently. Shipping is currently scheduled for October, so they must already have completed a production run.

This should mean the usual crowdfunding disclaimer we make isn’t relevant but just for completeness sake – Remember that crowdfunding is just that, your pledge helps make the product happen. Sometimes they don’t go as planned and you don’t get the product (or your money back).

What do you think about the e-Skates from Segway? Is this something you’d purchase? Let us know below!

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.