There are already human-powered devices that allow you to walk on water, plus there are electric motor-powered stand-up paddleboards. The WaterBlade, however, appears to bridge the gap between the two. It’s a floating platform that you stand on to “walk” across the water, but it also has a motor to help make things easier.
Designed by architect Gameli Cruz, the WaterBlade is intended mainly to be a fitness device that works the legs, abs and butt. Although the pictured prototype is made from EPS foam, plans call for the commercial version to have a heavy-duty inflatable body.
A 12-volt, 624-watt lithium-ion battery delivers power to a 0.85-HP electric trolling motor, located at the end of a fiberglass shaft extending beneath the device. That motor delivers 55 lb (25 kg) of thrust, allowing users to actually make some progress across the surface instead of just waddling back and forth on the spot.
Read Gizmag, WaterBlade and Kickstarter
