These are the first electric roller skates in the world. Its inventor, Mohamed Soliman, is a young 26-year-old creator. Of Egyptian origin, he grew up in the Paris suburbs. With his start-up Atmosgear, he has won several awards, including one of the winners of Talents 2024 launched by the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to encourage budding entrepreneurs.
Impatience is growing among the first customers jostling on the Quai de Seine, in the heart of the Marais in Paris. Four hundred pairs have already been purchased. “ We’ve been waiting for more than a year, we’ve been waiting for pairs of electric roller skates for more than ten years, so clearly, these are dreams that come true, even for us when we were kids… That pleases ! So, we can’t wait to put on a pair, it’ll feel good. We take advantage of a little moment of relaxation in the afternoon to come and collect the pair and greet the designer », Explains a customer.
Curly hair, gold-rimmed glasses and goatee, Mohamed Soliman alias Mido no longer knows where to turn. “ It’s euphoria! I’m overwhelmed here, I think it shows… I’m very happy, very proud, and I’m just trying to manage so as not to make people wait too long. There, I took a bag, I don’t even know why I did it! “, he said.
A true technological feat
In the bag attached to the belt, there is a battery kit. It is connected by a cable to the skate, connected to the electric motor hidden in one of the wheels. This is a true technological feat. And here we go for the first tests… “ There, going forward, you accelerate, you have to go gradually, and going backwards, there is the brake. You have to go there gradually all the time. What I suggest to you will be to first test the brake, you skate normally, and you test the brakes gently… », he explains to a customer.
Passionate about the world of manga, Mohamed Soliman was inspired by one of these heroes to bring these roller skates of the future to life. Although it is not an Olympic discipline, it will organize several events during the Games. “ I started, I was twelve years old, and seeing the dream come true, but above all sharing this dream with lots of other people who had the same as me, it’s just crazy! And we worked a lot, I started working seriously on the project in 2018. Today we are in 2024, and that’s it, I’m finally enjoying this moment, so it’s great », says Mohamed Soliman.
These rollers go up to 25 km/h and recharge while skating. Their cost varies between 600 and 700 euros.