When he was a teenager, Keahi Seymour set out to devise a pair of boots that might help him run as fast an ostrich, one of the fastest land animals on Earth, able to reach top speeds of up to 45 mph. We’ve all had out teenage fantasies, but while most people quit after their first half-baked paper airplanes, Seymour pressed on and I couldn’t be more happy for him. Many years later, he finally got to a working prototype called the Bionic Boot – the “transportation / fitness device for the 21st century,” by Seymour’s account. The video below offers a glimpse of what the boots can do.

Seymour and his company, Bionic Boot, say the springs on the back of their boots emulate the achilles tendons of an ostrich or kangaroo. This prototype boosts his pace to a brisk 25 miles per hour, but Seymour won’t rest until he can take the human body to the next level, and outrun some of Earth’s fastest land animals. The world’s fastest man (Usain Bolt) has been clocked at a top speed of 27.44 mph. We’ll definitely follow his developments and report with new findings.

 

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