Motorized Skates take strain from walking

A 22-year-old Plymouth inventor has created $500 motorized skates that zip users along more quickly than those fancy balancing scooters, and at a far lower cost.

Ilya Kaganovich sees his iShoes as ideal transportation for city streets, college campuses and office complexes, with a top speed of 20 mph for up to 30 minutes on a single battery charge. Just push a handheld button and go.

Segway inventor Dean Kamen once made grand forecasts about how his pricey scooters would revolutionize urban transport, only to see tepid sales, so iShoes' impact on personal mobility is unclear.

But Kaganovich plans to make his case next week on the biggest possible stage, the mammoth Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where every conceivable kind of high-tech product gets publicized to attendees from around the world. While Kaganovich's supporters say he is more of a laconic tinkerer than a product pitchman, they point to a fire in his belly.

"He isn't a natural-born salesman, but he's a natural-born innovator who breaks the mold," said Mike Berman, a local medical-technology expert who has given Kaganovich advice and support. "I think he is burning inside to come up with a neat product."

Kaganovich thought up the iShoes idea while spending time in New York City last summer. He quickly tired of getting around that metropolis on foot and by public transportation and started daydreaming about alternatives. Then he got to work.