This article refers to Rocket Boots, a specific invention by Russian scientist Viktor Gordeyev. The invention is a pair of mechanical devices that a user would wear on his or her lower legs and feet. Rocket Boots are intended to make it possible for a person to travel faster and further than they could by walking or running.
There are no actual rockets in these Rocket Boots. Rather, the power comes from pistons that are filled with a fuel-air mixture, and fired by compression when the user puts his or her full body weight down into the boot. When the piston fires, the platform under the user's foot pushes down on the ground, launching the user forward toward the next step. The boots use approximately 4 cc fuel per 10 km.
The boots were initially developed in the 1970s for the Russian Army, but development was suspended until 2000. The project was restarted by scientists at the university of Ufa in Russia, with the aim to develop a product for the civilian and a military markets.
It is expected that while using the "rocket boots", a person could travel at an average speed of around 17 km/h. However, it is thought that the highest speed for an experienced user is around 35 km/h.
References[]
- New York Times (requires registration)
- Herald Tribune (copy of New York Times article)
- Dispatch Online
External links[]
- Imperial YT
- Russian Rocket Boots 2 on YouTube
The original article can be found at Rocket boots and the edit history here.