An American company by the name of Rise Robotics has recently come out with a product that will enhance your skateboarding experience. This pole allows you to control your speed and propels you forward with a built in motor. They call this product the KickStick.
How Does it Work?
This stick allows you to control the speed at which you skateboard. You can do this by controlling the amount of pressure you put on the stick. The more pressure you put, the faster you go. This device can allow you to go up to 30 mph.
As the video above shows, it can be sued to go at great speeds and would also allow you to keep up with traffic should you decide to ride on the roads.
As this video shows, for an experienced skateboarder, the KickStick is fairly easy to pick up and learn how to use. It can also be very useful for going uphill.
As they describe on their website, the device allows you go fast and stay in control based on its pressure based system. It also has an easily replaceable battery to keep you moving. The device is very durable and compact. It can be tossed aside with very little damage to the device. The stick can also be folded for easy carrying and transport.
The device is also compatible with multiple types of boards as it is shown being used with both regular skateboards as well as longboards.
Where Can You Learn More About the KickStick?
You can learn more about them from their website or their Indiegogo campaign. As I am writing this, their campaign has not yet started, but it will open soon.
Comments and Opinions
I think this is an amazing product. As someone who has only successfully skateboarded in video games, I can not attest to how the intended users will feel about this product. However, as it is designed by people who can obviously skate well (given their videos), I would see this product as nothing but a tool to allow you to go faster, with less effort on your part.
This device could be the start to a new era for skateboarding with higher speeds and more daring stunts. It could also evolve to become its own mode of transportation. If one were to combine the pressure controlled throttle with its own kind of board, we could eventually have fully motorized skateboards or even something completely unique. This technology has lots of potential for the years to come.
